Jautaza - By Anaythak the Bard

[Rasterick]

Forty years from now, Anaythak the Bard, sits in at his desk in his house in Pranzis, he recalls his conversation, with a Wemic Ranger called Jautaza. He has been meaning to put quill to paper, to chronical the life of Jautaza's life  among men for some time now, but he had been so busy of late that he never quite got round to it.

I met Jautaza three years ago, he was still a magnificient looking creature, although his mane was tinged with grey and there were several scars of battle over his imense body. He was still an imposing sight. He must have bee quite old for a Wemic, and guess his age must have been about 60. His command of common was ok, but I suppose his mouth and tounge were not meant to speak it that well. He did however understand all I said when I could not pronounce the Wemic word and had to drop into common. I had picked up their language from a book I found in the great library on Voltrex, and having heard stories about these half men-half lions, I decided that I should go find one and see if they had a story worth telling.

I found Jautaza and having spent many years among men, he was willing, albeit reluctantly to tell me his story.

Jautaza arrived on the Island of Mistone, after escaping from a band of Rilaran slave traders who had captured him, and intended to sell him as a very large pet. For the first few weeks, Jautaza avoided all contact with those he called two legs, his distrust of them was at this stage very pronounced, and he did not want to be held captive again.

His first contact was with a two legs called Garric, who suprised Jautaza by being able to talk in the language of animals, Garric provided him with a bow, spears and some items of food. Jautaza's reasoning was that anyone that would give weapons to his enemy was either a fool, or very confident of his own abilities, Garric seemed to be neither. So Garric was spared having his throat ripped out. Garric also told him that there were many two legs on this land, and that some were evils and not to be trusted. Jautaza   had no problem in believing Garrics words.

One thing that never ceased to amaze Jautaza was how much the two legs ran about, often doing nothing at all, and it soon became evident that he assumed they all had their eyes closed as they would often walk right past him without noticing his presence. He once sat in the trees watching the West gate of Hlint for a whole day, no one ever knew he was there.

[Rasterick]

The continuing story of Jautaza the Ranger by Anaythak the Bard

For several months, Jautaza kept out of the way of men, he observed them from a distance, amused himself by watching their strange antics. He listened to their strange language, and after a while began to understand some of what they were saying. He ocassionally made contact with single individuals, and often to his suprise, some were able to converse with him. He learned their names, and began to realise that these conveyed no meaning of the deeds of men. Garric Tegengard was just a collection of words, no meaning, no expression of his deeds or abilities. He also learned that many of these men were skilled hunters and warriors, and also some were cruel indiscrimate killers.

He was also suprised at how the two legs varied in sizes, and how they all had different names for each type of people, humans, by far the most numerous, Dwarves;short and stout with deep voices and always smelling of fermented wheat or barley. Elves; slender and lithe, quiet and moody. Half Giants, tall, strong and honest. Gnomes and Halflings; small and comical. The two legs were a strange diverse people.

[Rasterick]

The continuing story of Jautaza the Ranger by Anaythak the Bard

Jautaza would often  go for months at a time, with no contact with humans. Whiling away his time, hunting and practicing his bow skills.


A year passed on Mistone, and he ws beginning to get used to the solitude, but a chance brush with death, somehow changed his mind. He encountered a group of Lizardmen slaying a small band of humans. He could have walked by, in the cover of the trees, leaving the men to their fate. That was not his way, nor the way of his people. One of the men had fallen to the magic of a lizard shaman, and a knife weilding warrior was about to dispatch him. He notched an arrow drew the string and loosed the arrow, its flight was true, striking the lizard in the throat. The scaly creature, staggered backwards, clutching at the yellow fletched shaft protuding from his neck, his life ebbing away between his fingers. Jautaza lept forward, his spear at the ready. Something had snapped inside him, an anger welled up in his stomach, how could these discusting creatures show such disregard for another living being? His three mighty leaps closed the gap between him and the lizardmen, he thrust the spear into the lizards ribs, lifting it off its feet and slammimg it into a nearby tree.

Anger is not a good ally to take into combat, it clouds judgement and reasoning. As such his focus was on the imediate threat, his disregard of  the shaman and his dagger that sliced deep into his flank, cost him dear. The burning pain, stopped him in his tracks, his stopped and clutched his side, the warm blood, his blood coved his hand. His head started to spin, his eys lost focus and as his life ran from his flanfk onto the grass, he keeled over and balcked out.

Dreams and visions coalessed before him, so real and vivid. Images of his family, his people. Views of Veapra and the Sea of Grass, shimmering in the warm breeze like a mighty green ocean. It was like his life was being retold to him, snippets of good and bad memories formed in his mind, then as quickly as they came, gone again; back int the hidden depths of his memory.

Darkness and light, cold and hot, all sensations washed over him, but most strange was the eerie silence that came with them. Then in what seemed like an instant, Sunlight; albeit broken by a canopy of leaves struck his eyes, making them water and tingle. Binking, Jautaza regained his focus, but the faces he saw were those of men. men looking down at him, a palpable look of concern on their faces. Soft hands steadied him, soft words comforted him, and though he was aware of the  pain in his side, it now seemed to tingle instead of burn. In his mind words formed, the language of animals. 'Move not, your wounds are not yet healed, but you will live to fight another day'. Jautaza drifted off to his dream world again.

How long is a dream? he thought. Because it seemed a lifetime had passed before he opened his eyes again. This time the smell of acrid burning flesh assailed his nostrils instead of sunlight stinging his eyes. A man was sat next to him, and as Jautaza wrinkled his nose, the words of animals formed in his mind; 'Its the bodies of the forked tounged ones that you smell. We overcame them, and now we send their bodies to their maker.'

This time Jautaza was able to sit up, and as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he could see several men sat around a small campfire, their voices hushed. As he surveyed the surroundings. he saw the body of a man, his cape covering his torso, so that only his boots could be seen. 'You are brave my big friend, you saved our friend, but we lost another of our band to an lizards sword'. The man sat next to him said in words he could understand clearly. 'Your wounds nearly claimed you as well, but we could not let one who would risk his life for a stranger succumb to the Soul Mother.' Jautaza listened to the mans words. ' Our healer was able to save you. your wound was poisened. you are lucky he is skilled in such matters'.

Jautaza smiled, a large look of deep gratitude warmed his face. 'You have my thanks, I was foolish to drop my guard, but I could not let what was about to happen, happen. I realise that there is more to life than me.' Jautaza words caused the man to smile. 'We leave as soon as you are mended'. the man said. 'You are welcome to join us, we travel to Hlint, five days from here. get some sleep, we leave at sunrise'.

So Jautaza left with the men, in the five days with them, he learned many of their words, though saying them was not as easy as understanding them. He also learned of their customs, and their reason for travellling. They had been asked by a With to retrieve the eye of a strange flying creature. This they had done, and now they returned with their prize.
In the time with them, he came to respect them, they treated him as a friend, he begen to warm to them.

The two legs it seemed were not all bad, and though so different in appearance; they were not so different inside their hearts.