Telgard Tribune

August 20, 2001
Page 8

The Writers Corner
A collection of Telgard Literary Art

~Tahnn Limericks
-By Artaliss

There once was a Misharr named Rrajl.
Who bragged about being quite agile.
Said, “My paws are so nimble,
I will dance on this thimble!”
Too bad that his skull was so fragile!
=============================
There once came a Gob into Hasst.
Quite intent on escaping his past.
While protecting himself,
By avoiding an elf.
Died when into a Ss’tiss he crashed!
=============================
There once was a Misharr named Marr,
Who took things a little too far.
The Ss’tiss got pissed,
So the cat, they insist,
Wears a coat made of feathers and tar.
=============================
There once was a Misharr named Rrawny.
With a desert fur coat tan and tawny.
He blended like sand,
In the dunes and wasteland.
Good thing - cause he was really scrawny!
=============================
There once was a Ss’tiss named Hisses.
Who stepped on the tail of his Missus.
He survived what ensued,
Though he’ll never give brood.
Because of the parts that he misses!

The Patriarch
-By Sevilith

This is the legend of the patriarch as passed down in my clan. Having not many written records, we have opted instead for a verbal telling in the form of a song. Usually the honor of it being able to sing it was reserved for the clan storyteller, but since I am the only one here, I may have this honor to grant you with the story of the patriarch.

One fateful day long ago,
the people of the desert saw a need.
They needed a female strong and brave,
that in times of strife all would heed.
Time passed and there was peace in the land,
But this was not to last.
Coming from darkness and death,
The scourge came to pass.
The need was here,
and the hero chosen.
She was unfit, and was killed,
the clans scattered and frozen.
Then a male stepped forth,
all beaten and scarred.
He took up the role
and the clans were unbarred.
He lead the armies against the Scourge,
running at the head.
It was said that as he ran,
he left a trail of dead.
He drove the dark armies out of the desert,
obliterated them from the land.
He returned to his people a hero,
the tales spread across the sand.
Although he was a wonder in war,
but skills for ruling a kingdom he lacked.
He decided he would cast off the title and leave,
walking from the desert he never looked back.
With him went the magic,
all the clans were in dismay.
That curse still holds,
until this very day.
It is said that should come back to the desert
the magic will come return.
But for him to come back,
that is a privilege the clans have yet to earn.
So to this day we praise him,
and remember his great deeds.
But until proof of his life is found,
his story is what on which legends feed.
-Sevilith

The Ss'kupzzh
- By KM Kestrel

The whispering voice - raised just loud enough to be heard at the other side of the campfire - spoke in hissing and clicking sounds - the voice of a young Ss'tiss.
"Another ss'kupzzh has been seen two nights ago. A three-eyed golden cat with fangs twice as long as your hands..." Laughter like the hissing of an angry snake rose up. One of the other four Ss'tiss sitting around the fire gave the speaker a strong clap on the back. Still laughing she answered, "Exaggerations! Even a baby already knows there are no three-eyed cats living here. In fact no one ever heard of any. Ss'kupzzh - where should such monsters come from?! Only mages would be able to create them."
Shivering she added, "And it would have to be a VERY powerful mage, indeed. But why here? Makes no sense, no sense at all..." She shook her head, unbelieving...
The first speaker answered quickly, sharply accentuating his words to convince the others his story was true. "Aye, but this is already the third time we heard of them. First those yss'than that are said to have arms ending in horrible claws and to attack anything daring to get into their way - although they're MAMMALS! And remember what Chrizza told us after they came back from their hunting trip in the north? That mad fessal whose head looked like that of a falcon - and it had THINGS growing out of its back looking like wings she said... Someone IS messing with our animals, someone must be out there... only magic can create such ... monsters... can't you SEE that?!"
His voice rose and he angrily he hit at the air near the one who had mocked about him. He didn't dare touch her, didn't dare because she was pregnant...
To regain composure he got up and stumbled several meters away from the fire till he felt the cold breeze caress his scales. A low, angry hiss still on his lips, his body suddenly stiffened, he seemed paralyzed. His eyes widened in shock, unbelieving. His mouth opened but no sound escaped...
There was terror in his eyes when he finally turned back to the fire where his companions were sitting, fooling around, and laughing. There was a cry of fear and then pain...
When his friends turned, they saw a slaughter. A swarm of mutated bats, their teeth about twice as long as normal and their eyes glistening with madness. Their wings had small fingers and claws at the ends, enabling them to cling to the body of even a Ss'tiss - as the others saw while they crippled Ashheth.
They first pierced his eyes, leaving him stumbling around blind and bleeding. Then their sharp teeth started ripping out pieces of his scales and flesh from face, neck and chest... When his friends finally managed to overcome their horror they grabbed pieces of burning wood and scared the ss'kupzzh away.
Back in Naczach'sh, the pregnant female now tries to find brave men willing to find out where the mutated animals, the "ss'kupzzh" came from. Men able to kill the ss'kupzzh as well as their creator - but no one seems to take her seriously; not her and not her almost totally blinded companion...