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Disclaimer: This work of fiction is based on the game The Tenth Line. And furthermore this story will reference past events in the last two stories, be sure to catch up if you want. With that said I have made sure to make this story as stand alone as possible so you can just jump in. Now with that out of the way, enjoy what may be the final story in this series.
Prologue
A question asked throughout time, what is the answer? What is the purpose? Is there a purpose? If you, can you.. Should you? While some to an extent came to a reasonable conclusion for what it is that they seek, others have not. In the land known as Skyweather, doomsday was said to arrive for the entire world. This never came to be and as a result man and beast learned to some extent how to live in harmony. Soon after a Kobold known as Rik joined the knightship and he soon would rise through the ranks over several years. At first he had no interest of becoming an ambassador of beast and human relations. He was happy to finally have an ideal life for himself instead of stealing and living in a ditch. As time passed he became a General and some have said without a doubt 'he was better than that old General Lux ever was'. Who was General Lux? Well, he was a White Draconmage and let's just say he was a force of good on the outside, but on the inside he was quite rotten.
Anyhow Rik during his life went on journeys no one else had the honor to embark on. Historians have recorded his tales for others to hear, but most believe it to be nothing but myths or tall tales. Meanwhile others believe every word and even claim they have seen strange phenomena in their own world. It is also well known he adopted a Kobold child when he was still a captain. The child soon grew and became a courier delivering important letters and packages. That Kobold was named Greg but he goes by the name of Six the Courier to supposedly conceal his identity somewhat. Greg never been outside of The Nation of Skyweather since he wandered into the region when he was but a child. Greg could not recall where he came from exactly, all he knew was he woke up one day… alone by a riverbed. And as for his friend, a Black Draconmage known as Daxtertalias, they hardly have talked over the course of a year. Why is that? Something happened to Greg causing him to disappear for great lengths of time in the city.
This is because one day General Rik turned up missing, his last assignment was outside of The Nation of Skyweather, through The Tangle. It is an expanse of thorny, tangling vines that were thick and tough. They snare many who would travel off the beaten path. Anyhow, other than that bit of knowledge, no one knew anything except for one knight that returned. After briefly reporting that Rik went missing along with the rest of his company the man disappeared. This is what started the events that would transpire, Greg for a whole six months had little progress. Between dead ends and nights at the tavern he could not find the man. He even ventured out and beyond The Tangle himself and found nothing. However with the trail gone cold he soon was able to catch a glimmer of hope. Though as simple as it may seem to just find someone, the world is big and holds many mysteries. Even though Greg found this man and now maybe he will get his answer, it is only the first step in an unexpected and longer journey. As Dr. Zeilus Vangouier once said, 'Always question, but do not be surprised when the answer is unlike what you would think'. It is true we all search for answers, but sometimes the question is best left alone in…
:{Beyond Worlds III}:
Following a Cold Trail
Story By: PalmerDude Gaming
Proofread by: Rageage
The Tenth Line By: Sungazer Software
Every other copyrighted property is owned by its respective owners
Chapter 1: The First (Vague) Step
Greg the Kobold was sitting at the desk hunched over. His face was in his journal, asleep and he was most likely ruining the pages with his drool. He wakes up with a start, another weird dream. He was not in his home outside Skyweather, he was in one of the tavern's guest rooms. It was a nice room with wooden walls and a nice stone floor. He shakes his head and walks over to the mirror. He definitely looked a bit rough around the edges, drinking and staying up late does that after all. He rubs his eye on his canine face, he had strawberry-ish blond fur. And the fur curled up a bit down the back of his neck, almost imitating hair. Y'know, hair kinda like a human would have, and yes, he wore that duster. The duster was quite odd however, it was sleeveless for some reason but as a beast man it was suitable. He also wore a light cotton sleeveless shirt under the duster to look more appropriate amongst the public.
Oh and he has a belt across his chest under the duster too. He was a courier after all, and of course his pants had plenty of pockets for deliveries or pocketing something extra when no one is looking. Kobolds have those rascally urges after all, who can blame them? Well everyone does, people are not fans of thievery. Anyway the duster has a.. hood, for some reason or another, hoods are cool I guess, at least that is my reasoning on why a sleeveless duster has a hood. He also had a single strapped knapsack, kinda important when you have a lot of little things to carry. Greg then sits back down and unwraps the bandages around his foot.. Or paws whatever they are. His paws (or feet-paws, I really don't know) are fine, but sometimes it's nice to have wraps around them for when he is walking a lot.
Anyhow after replacing them with fresh ones he gets up and looks out the window. Unsurprisingly there was snow, it was winter after all. He can see it is late afternoon, he slept through the day, that was fine because his plan would be enacted later in the night. Then he thought of the dream again
"That.. was weird" Greg said to himself, "I swear I recognize that woman's voice, but from where?" This dream was a recurrent one he has had ever since he talked to his friend Dax on the small occasion they met up again. They talked about where they came from. Dax would not exactly say how or why he left his brood, Greg assumed he felt as if he was destined to be left behind so he just ended up leaving. Greg on the other hand.. he could not remember, he just remembers waking up along the riverbed. After that he met a friendly traveler that would lead him to Skyweather. He was dropped off at an orphanage and soon escaped it and just lived on his own in the woods until Rik found him.
"Well, enough of that" Greg suddenly said, "there is a time to mull over things and that time isn't now." "A quick steak dinner and maybe some mead and then I'll be on my way." "Heh, look at me monologuing." Greg walks out of the room and down the stairs to the tavern. It looks like your run of the mill ye olde tavern you probably have seen many times before. Complete with a slightly grating bard and the drunkard that practically lives there, giving off a foul smell. Greg sat down on a stool at the bar and waited for the bartender. The Bartender was a burly man with a beard, the beard is so thick you would think it needs it's own hair net.
"Hey Six" The Bartender said after a moment, oh yeah, his nickname is Six for some reason so that's what he is called by others. Anyway The Bartender said
"The usual I take it?"
"No" Greg said, "just a glass of mead and some steak if there is any."
"Oh-kay" The Bartender said, "got another trail tonight I take it, or perhaps you have to make a late night delivery?"
"First one" Greg said, "this time it's is a sure thing, I will most likely not be returning"
"Oh, is that so?" The Bartender asked, "well I gotta say I am sad to hear it, you were good for business.
"Uh-huh" Greg said, "well I am sure you will do just fine without me."
"Yeah, yeah" The Bartender said, "so how you want that steak then? Raw?"
"Medium-rare, Clarence" Greg said.
"Hey!" The Bartender said, "I told you to never say my middle name!"
"Well" Greg said, "you were the one to ask me, a beast man, if I want the steak raw when I have always had it cooked."
"Aw come on" The Bartender said, "you are leavin, thought I would just joke, I didn't mean to be rude ya jerk".
"Right" Greg said, "apologies, so how long will that be?"
"A bit" The Bartender said, "just gotta tell the chef" A little while later he finished his meal and left the tavern. Greg walked the streets and down an alleyway away from the tavern a bit into the city. The alley eventually leads to the backdoor of a blacksmith's shop. Inside the work area were two men, one working away on swords and gear and another hunched over a table tuning some kind of modified bracer. The man at the table was almost balding and skinny with overalls, he wore thick glasses. The other man, the actual blacksmith, was big and strong and has black flowing hair down to his shoulders. He worked shirtless of course and because of this looked almost like a barbarian.
"Hey Ed" Greg said, the balding man looked behind himself
"Ah, Six the Courier" Ed said, "good you're here come in, come in. Greg enters,
"Hey how ya doin Alzef?" he says to the brawny blacksmith.
"Hey there fuzzy guy" Alzef said, "how's the findin your daddy business goin?"
"Better" Greg said, "gettin closer, just need to pick up something from your brother."
"Ah yea" Alzef said, "the bracer with the hook".
"Yep" Greg said, "alright Ed, is it done?"
"Yes and just in time its seems" Ed said, "first things first though, let us make sure it fits."
"Wait" Greg said "why didn't we do that before you worked on it?"
"You were in a hurry" Ed said, "your fault not mine, anyway just slip that on". Greg puts the bracer on and luckily it fits.
"It fits" Greg said, "so does it work like I think it would?"
"Somewhat" Ed said, "I had to take some liberties with the design a bit. Now what you need to do is.." Ed then went into detail how to fire the grappling hook out of the bracer with the use of skygems to Greg. It was easy enough to understand but Ed had a hand guide for him too. Greg just threw it in his knapsack, however they made sure not to fire it off in the work/blacksmith shop so they went outside. Alzef followed them wanting to watch, Greg aimed with his arm outstretched and fired the grappling hook. It latched on the roof and Greg reeled himself up jumping up the side of the workshop.
"Perfect!" Greg shouted, "this will make me a bit more versatile alright!"
"Great!" Alzef said, "I am glad my bro could help!"
"Yes" Ed said, "it worked but I gotta know, where did you learn ingenuity like that? You practically helped me write half of the blueprint for the device!"
"I just happen to be quite smart" Greg said, "but yeah it sure as heck worked!
"Of course, we alrady established this" Ed said, "anyhoo, when you come back you should become my partner!"
"Eh, I dunno" Greg said, "Thanks again though, see ya guys!"
"Buh-ye!" Alzef said.
"Take care" Ed said, "now get off my roof then, would you kindly?"
"No problem" Greg said, "bye again!" Greg then made great time getting through Skyweather running among roof tops. It gave Greg somewhat of an adrenaline rush being able to drop across buildings and pull himself to greater heights. He spent a good hour or so using the new contraption until later in the evening. Eventually he came to a stop looking down on the streets. He spots a lone Draconmage walking along, it was his old friend Lix, still a knight after all this time somehow. He was a Blue Draconmage, the one with mastery over ice. Unlike other Draconmages Lix wore a hide jacket typically and of course armor when he is on Knight duty. Greg whistled at Lix and he looked up slightly perplexed.
"Greg?" Lix asked, "what are you- hold on" Lix then teleported to Greg's side on top of the roof."
"Hey Lix" Greg said, "so we good to do this?"
"Okay first of all how are you up here? Lix asked.
"Grappling hook bracer" Greg said, "inspired by the one dad's friend had."
"Well" Lix said, "looks like it works pretty well, anyway we cannot exactly go through with that plan of yours." "I couldn't get them to allow me to let you just break into this guys house." "There isn't enough proof for us to just bust into the man's home, even if its a basement under some abandoned looking house."
"Proof?" Greg asked, "look here then". Greg took something out of the knapsack, and showed Lix a pendant with the royal Skyweather guards symbol.
"Okay, so?" Lix asked.
"The man dropped it" Greg said, "I seen it, and furthermore I-"
"Greg" Lix interrupted, "it still won't matter, he could have just picked up the pendant".
"I am not done" Greg said, "look, these papers, they are documents of him changing his name, see?"
"Wait" Lix said, "now where did you get that? I mean The Kingdom actually keeps track of that?"
"Uh yeah, they do" Greg said "and I may have done a lot of digging"
"As Kobolds typically do" Lix said, "anyway let me look at that." Lix looked over the paper and Greg was right, Astor changed his name to Dane.
"Okay" Lix said, "but why would he change his name?"
"He is a part of the crime syndicate" Greg said,
"What?" Lix asked, "you're not yankin my tail here are ya?"
"Nope" Greg said, "and that is not even his first name change." "Originally he was known as Belvin Sanderogez, you know who that is?"
"Yeah" Lix said, "the head honcho of one of the biggest crime families in the city." Why did we never check through this?" "And furthermore how did you even-"
"I am really good at investigating" Greg interrupted, "let's leave it at that." "Anyway I believe he has contacts outside our nation, if I get to him I'll find my father."
"Okay, well just wait here then" Lix said, "I'll go and get some back up."
"I am goin ahead" Greg said.
"That is a stupid idea" Lix said, "what if- y'know?"
"Don't worry" Greg said, "I can handle myself."
"Well, okay" Lix said, "just be careful pal, we'll be there shortly to back you up if needed."
"Sounds good" Greg said, "I'll see you in a bit with your boys." Greg then lowered himself down the building with the grapple hook and enters Belvin's hideout. He walks down the corridor of the grimey dark basement cautiously. His whiskers twitched, he could sense there was a slight air of danger. As he rounded the corner and into the room he came face to face with Belvin himself aiming a crossbow at his head. Belvin was quite the shifty looking one. He has a wicked beard, and by that I mean his beard is evil wicked not cool wicked. And he was about as clean as a rat soaked in grease with his stained tunic and messy scraggly hair.
"Well" Greg said putting his hands up, "guess you were expecting me."
"Yeah" Belvin said, "I have sources kid, as well as my own eyes and ears."
"So you'd know why I'm here then?" Greg asked.
"Yeah" Belvin said, "you want to know where daddy went." "So let me see now, I had us ambushed and he was taken by someone else." "I think they went hiding out near that crappy kingdom with all the beast that do the hard mining work." "What was it now? The Sourstone Kingdom to the west I believe"
"Okay" Greg said, "um, so I also know you did that to distract the kingdom while your goons robbed the King's vault."
"Yeah" Belvin said, "and as you know that went poorly, it was such a waste of time getting your father abducted, I know."
"So" Greg asked, "he still over there?"
"No clue kid" Belvin said, "after the plan fell through I had no idea what would have happened to him." "Not that it matters because you are not leavin."
"Yeah, heh" Greg said, "should have brought more than just this dagger." Greg unpockets his dagger and raises it.
"Yeah" Belvin said, "and too bad I have this crossbow aimed at your head, make a move I dare ya." The two of them just stares off for a while, the air was tense. Greg watched Belvin and payed attention to his finger, waiting for him to pull the trigger. Finally Greg fakes a cough and Belvin fires at him. Greg rolls forward and stabs Belvin in his ankle.
"Augh!" Belvin yells kneeling down leaving himself open for Greg to punch him in the face. Belvin falls backwards and begins to bleed out his nose.
"Ugh," Belvin muttered, "looks like I have underestimated your ability." "Well do it, take your petty revenge and kill me then.
"No" Greg said, "though I may harm, I will not kill, besides you'd suffer more rotting in a cell. Greg then grabbed some rope on a nearby table and tied Belvin to one of the ceiling supports. He then exits and returns with Lix and the Skyweather guard.
"There he is" Greg said, "all yours guys."
"This is still unbelievable" Lix said, "you just took down one of the most elusive criminals ever." "You really should come back to the Skyweather Guard when you return, you'd do a lot of good."
"Yeah" Greg said, "but no, I did this to find my pa, anyway I guess I will see ya."
"What?" Lix asked, "you aren't goin to stick around? Don't you want to be hailed as a hero?"
"No" Greg said, "in fact you can have all the credit, I will see you around, take care."
"Wait, Greg wait a minute" Lix said, as another guard handed Lix something.
"What?" Greg asked.
"Look" Lix said, "Belvin had this on him, a gem." Greg looked at the gem and yes it was the half of gem Rik had only it's faded and grey with hardly any of its original color.
"Huh" Greg said, "that would explain why dad didn't just mess with time like he would to get outta being caught." "Thanks for giving me this Lix".
"No problem" Lix said, "stay safe now you hear? And good luck." Greg made his way towards the gates that lead into the farmlands surrounding Skyweather. Along the way he saw something a bit peculiar. It was a group of Black Draconmages, ones that wore robes, and they seemed lost to Greg.
"Hey" Greg said to them, "need some directions."
"No" One of the Black Draconmages said, "we are just fine, we are just looking for-"
"Silence" one of them interrupted, "It is of no ones business what we seek."
"Um" Greg said "so I should just keep walkin then? Alright, well good luck with whatever I guess." The Black Dracons said nothing in response and Greg made his way out of the city and walked home. He trudged through the snow, the icey air was sharp and cold, as if the air had fangs gnawing on the body leaving with its attack cold chills. Eventually he stood before the door of his old home, he opened it and went inside. He entered into his father's old room and lifted the floor board up revealing a hidden stash that Greg had put together.
He takes the quivers of knives and put them on himself. He then took out the crossbow and put it on his back. And finally he took out a short sword and equipped it to his back above his tail. Greg then walked out of the room and to the pantry, he grabbed as much food he could put into the knapsack. After that he grabbed anything else he may need such as first aid and some books. Some of the books were for entertainment and others were on how to apply magical effects to gear and weapons. After awhile of assessing his gear and and making sure he had everything he needed he was ready. It was late, so Greg then decided once the morning came he would set off and begin his journey but for now it is time for some rest. Greg goes to lie down but then remembers that he has those weapons on him.
"Ha ha, oops" Greg laughed, "guess I should take this stuff off of me." After he unequipped the weapons he slept on the sofa.
Upon falling asleep Greg once again dreamed of the woman's voice in the forest near some mountain. She said 'I know the hardest part is letting go.. but your future isn't going to be here my dear'. Greg did not know what it meant.
"Who are you?" he asked, "hello? Hello!?" There was no response, and Greg could not see because everything began to turn bright white. Blinded he stumbled around, and trips falling down, he looks up and sees strange people looking down on him.
"Greg?" a voice then said, "Greg wake up!" Greg then woke up with a start.
"Aaa, what?! How do yo-" he then stops short and sees it's his friend Dax standing there. The Black Draconmage was only a year older than Greg. He was lizard like, just like every other Draconmage. Unlike most Draconmages however Dax wore a leather jacket and what would definitely be the equivalent to jeans for pants. He had white hair with a green tint to it and has a sense of humor commonly lacking in other Black Draconmages.
"Been a while hasn't it?" Dax asked, "feels like I hardly know ya anymore since you're rarely around.
"Yeah" Greg said, "why do you always enter unannounced?"
"Yeah sorry" Dax said, "I am just like that, so.. you're leaving?" Greg sighs, he knew there was no way he could lie about it.
"Yes Dax.. I am leaving" Greg said, "I finally have some idea of where to look for my father, I am hoping something comes of it."
"Hey, progress" Dax said, "glad to hear, so uh, mind if I tag along?" Greg was hoping he would not ask that, he didn't want to drag Dax into this wild goose chase as well…
End of Chapter 1
Chapter 2: The Journey of Two Friends Begin
Out now