Count The Days: Intro

Forward

The events that occurred in the years of 1312-1315 were regarded in the history of Norik as, "nothing less of catastrophic."

Indeed, it was the years that, as noted by Hilo Pore in his later journals, "had to of been the bloodiest set of wars and campaigns the world of Norik has ever had the punishment of seeing."

This book tells how it all started; in the years of 1312 and 1313; from Jheed Rabaria, a mere peasant who is imprisoned at Tedah at the beginning, to the final climatic battle between the men of Foandal and the demons of hell.

The name of the book, "Count the Days," refers to the days leading up to the last battle. Koyos, the king of Foandal, apparently (as the records indicate), turned a hourglass over in front of Jheed at the palace, remarking. "Count the days." To him, the "Counting of the days", did not mean counting up until the attack by Elad, the demon lord.

Jheed’s past is not documented in any of the Norik records, although he is arguably the most famous ( ‘myth’) legend that had ever walked the earth.

It is said that Jheed was abandoned at childhood and was found by a warrior tribe, the

Tethal, and trained by them to be an elite warrior. The tribe, who dwells in the southeast, recalled a child named Jheed when interrogated by officials.

Cotude Purope, one of the reporters there, quoted the Tethal in his later book, Journeys Through Norik:

"We were walking to the Loi (River) when we heard a small, what seemed to be a squealing noise concealed within the bushes. We parted the leaves surrounding it, and found it to be a small child, around the age of four or five we concluded. We asked the small child for his name, for he was bawling, and we didn’t know what else to say. His crying ceased, and he looked at us thoughtfully. He slowly spoke the word, "Jee."

This has no evidence that it was, in fact, the sacred warrior Jheed, but children tended to have difficulties with speech at the age he had reached, and could very easily mistake Jheed for Jee.

In this story, Jheed’s past is, in fact, revealed, and remains to be the only book that has stated his past (controversially, I might add, many disagree with this input), and documents those last days that lead up to the, what many called, "Literally Hell Upon Earth."

JP

Chapter 1

His teeth chattered from the cold, bitter wind that had been let in by the small, barred window. He lay in his bed, a bed that had been broken for years before, as you could see by the springs that protruded out dangerously, waiting to poke something. Well, tonight’s the night, he thought as he pulled the small cloth, a ridiculous excuse for a cover, over him in an effort to keep warm.

It had been winter for about a month now in the north. It came harder there, and much longer than in the south or the middle parts of Norik. Many of the prisoners had died years before, but the ones that had fallen prey to the bitter cold this year surpassed any and all winters before it. Still, the fact remained, no matter how many died from the winter, more would die from the hard labor.

It was a small prison, with a capacity of around five hundred the guards estimated, although they crammed two thousand into it.