Tales from the Kingdom of Tyndall #1

The first in a series of short stories centering around three characters as they take part in the colonization of a newly discovered island. The first entry follows the beginning of a young man’s quest to become one of the elite.

I let out a sigh of satisfaction as I stepped off the boat and onto dry land. The boat was named the Uncharted and was the most recent product of the shipyards on the Plucco Peninsula. The peninsula is known for its pristine coastline, affluent citizens and of course the ships. The ship was a three-masted carrack. It was the largest ship I had ever had the pleasure of sailing on.

The journey had been a few hours long, sailing from the port of Wharton and landing here on the island. The island was large, with ample farmland, trees, and opportunity. The island had been discovered and claimed by the crown many months ago. But only recently had the King declared it safe for colonization.

The excitement and anticipation had spread through the Kingdom of Tyndall like wildfire. It reignited the enthusiasm that had dulled since the initial discovery of the island. Many of the citizens of Tyndall saw it as an opportunity to start again. Unfortunately, many of the citizens soon learned that they would not have the means to take advantage of said opportunity. Shortly after the announcement that the island was safe and resources were plentiful, the King announced that the island would be parceled into sections and every citizen given the opportunity to purchase a parcel of land.

Every citizen, no, not quite. Prices were set in such a way that only the affluent would be able to afford it. Not only would you have to pay for the land, you would also need to pay for passage to the land, and for supplies to start your new life. But I didn’t let that stop me. I had been longing for a chance to raise my standing. To be among the elite.

I stepped away from the busy makeshift dock and looked back at the Uncharted. A beautiful ship. I caught the eye of Gavin, a deckhand who worked on the Uncharted. He and I went way back, we’d known each other since childhood.

“Good luck, Remy!” he yelled when he saw me.

Remy was my nickname, which a lot my friends often called me. Short for Remington. “Thank you, I may need it,” I shouted back.

I turned around and took in my surroundings. Untouched land lay all around me. A smile caught my face and stayed there. No more cramped buildings, no one-room living quarters, no predetermined requirements.

It was obvious why this site had been chosen for the docking location. There was a natural cove that made a nice area for the ship to dock. It was also the part of the island closest to the Plucco Peninsula. The beach was a mix of sand and rock and the ocean floor dropped away quickly, allowing the Uncharted to dock with relative ease.

Horses, supplies, and carts were now starting to be unloaded from the Uncharted. Many of the lords would have been able to bring those things along and had the means to do so. Not me. I had a pack on my back and another over my shoulder. This is what I had to start my new life. This is all I needed. Or, that is what I told myself.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a map of the island, which had been provided to everyone who had purchased a parcel of land. My land was on the northwest tip of the island. My land. That sounded good. I took one last look at the area around me and started walking.

Directly in front of me were trees, not crowded enough to be called a forest, but a pleasant addition to the immediate area. The docks were on the northeastern part of the island, so I basically had to traverse the width of the island, which would take some time. But judging by the map, the island was longer than it was wide so it could have been worse.

I decided to stick to the coastline as I began my walk. I didn’t have to walk too far before I spotted the first flag. Each parcel of land had been marked with wooden stakes with flags so that those arriving on the island could easily identify the proper owners. This flag was blue with red dots in the corners and a picture of a bushel of apples in the middle. Lord Wedgewood’s family crest.

Lord Wedgewood was a lord’s lord. Not surprising at all that his purchased land would be close to docks. His family has long been one of the most prosperous families in the whole kingdom. They owned every apple orchard I had ever heard of. Their long history of productivity, nobility, and wealth earned them an immeasurable amount of respect and notoriety.

The day inched on as I continued my walk along the coast, which seemed to get rockier with every step. Perhaps a sign of things to come as I drew closer to my little spot on this new island frontier.

Taking a break, I sat down on a boulder just big enough to allow me to do so. I set my bags down and stretched as the afternoon sun beat down on me. Thankfully, I had filled my water skin to the brim and I took a swig, and my dry mouth relished it.

I had to sell everything to make this a reality. It took a lot just to gather enough resources to pull this off. But I would not let this opportunity slip by and here I am. The others on the boat coming over had no time for me. They still considered me beneath them. But that would change. I was a lord now. It would have to change.

I had been working for a textile company. But I was the bottom man and just did whatever was needed. I was thankful to the family for giving me the job. It allowed me to get by. But it was not what I wanted. I wanted a seat at the table. The lords and ladies of the kingdom who were looked upon as royalty, as the be all and end all… That was going to be me.

I sold my small one-room quarters. I sold my bed. I sold everything. Two days before the deadline and I was in the corner bar, playing dice. I needed more money, and luck was with me that night. As soon as I had made enough, I took it and ran before my luck would run out. The next day I packed up the few things I had left and hitched a ride from a nice family headed for the port. Even though I had arrived at the offices plenty early, the clerk in charge would not allow me to sign a contract right away. Two others were in the same lot as me it appeared, as the clerk would not sell to them either.

I guess we didn’t have the right last name.

They gave up. I waited. I waited at the offices all day as more and more plots were sold. The island had been divided into 30 parcels. A gigantic map was on the wall, and names were filled into the map as they were sold.

I watched with nervousness as the names started filling up the map. There were only three of the 30 parcels that I could afford. And each time a clerk stepped up to the map, my heart skipped a beat as he filled in another name with his quill. As the day dragged on, the three that I could afford remained open. There was a reason they were cheaper, I guess.

Finally, when the rush had slowed to a manageable flow, I got back in line. As I approached the counter the clerk eyed me with disdain again. But then he flicked open his pocket watch and noted the time. He wanted to be done for the day. So with only five plots yet available, three of which I could afford, I paid the man. And my name was added to the map in my chosen part of the island.

Getting back up from the boulder and hoisting my bags, I began walking again. It was hard to know for sure, but based on the flags I had seen and the map in my hand, I assumed I was halfway to my destination. The rest of the walk the sand all but disappeared and the terrain started to slope up. The sun also started to disappear on the horizon and the moon began to shine brightly.

Finally, after walking for what felt like forever, I could tell I was nearing the western edge of the island. The terrain grew steeper and came to a point that overlooked the water.

I looked around and my eyes fell upon a flag with no symbol. No family crest. Just one word. My last name. Remington.

With renewed energy I ran over to the flag and looked around for the next one that would mark the property. But it was rather dark, with the trees blocking any light that was still hanging on. Giving up on that, I climbed the steep, rocky shoreline until I reached the edge. And I looked out over the water.

What a sight lay before me! The dark blue water stretched on for miles. In the far distance a few lights could be seen to the northwest. This would be the part of the kingdom known as Westphal. Not as affluent as Plucco, but well known for its successful fishing industry. I let out a deep breath and sat down, just now realizing how tired I was from the long walk. I propped the bags behind me and leaned back on them and just relaxed.

As I rested my legs I took in more of my surroundings. I realized quickly why this area of land would be less desirable than the plots I had passed on the way here. Although in a manner of speaking it had direct access to the water, a steep drop and rocks sticking out of the water would greet anyone who took a wrong step. The terrain was rocky and wooded. In the dim light, no farmland was obvious. So not a lot to work with...

But that was a problem for another day. I looked back over the water again. I let out a sigh of satisfaction. I did it! I was a noble! A lord! Sure, the land had its drawbacks. But I would wager that none of the other lords had a view such as this. A view that I could now enjoy every day.

Lord Remington. Has a nice ring to it.