p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"AN: I plan on making this into a much longer story that actually has multiple chapters, but for now, it's a short story./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"-/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Tut. Tut. Tut. Kund's slow steps echo across the cracked stone floor. The darkness enveloping and enhancing all of his senses besides sight. He could barely see in front of himself as he holds his sword close to himself, ready to swing at anything or anyone. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Why am I here? I'm just a simple boy from a sick and dying village. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He questions before immediately reassuring himself. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm the only one who can do this! Find the White Phial, return home, and save everyone. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He tenses up in surprise and fear at the sound of something creaking nearby. He gets closer to the sound and swings with all of his might, but his strike catches a flat surface. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A wall?/span span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"No, a wooden door./span span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"One step closer to the Phial./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong id="docs-internal-guid-e028b8ed-7fff-a759-94d9-cb7f3cb43edf" style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The door creaks open and there's still nothing but darkness. Doubt resurfaces in Kund's mind again. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What am I even doing here? I don't even know for sure that it's here!/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" However, before more doubts could surface. he sees something flicker in the distance. With his senses sharpening once again, Kund grabs the handle of the sword and dislodges it out of the door. Kund places one hand on the wall to his left as he shuffles forward. The closer he gets, the brighter the flicker becomes. He turns to the lit corner and sees a small campfire with a small book some distance away. He grabs the book and sits down near the source of warmth. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The hot sun, the cool breeze, and the warmth of home. I shall restore that fire! /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"His eyes perk up with renewed vigor and a stronger will. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Kund opens the first page of the book. It's a log for someone. It reads, "Day 1 of my quest. An incurable by-conventional-means plague has ravaged my city. According to legend, this White Phial shall heal all wounds, restore the fluids that reside in it, and cure any disease. My friend and I will reclaim this artifact. We must reclaim this artifact." /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Another seeker, probably a more dangerous seeker than I if an entire city trusts him. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Another page reads, "Day 15 of my quest. we've arrived and wondered this abandoned fortress for so long to some avail. I've found an exit finally! Remember me, follow the blue splotches on the ground. And, I've seen runes and inscriptions along a dead end. It must be where The White Phial is! I must keep translating to hopefully open it." Kund's gut drops at the thought of him traveling out here and the Phial already being gone, but a small part of him feels guilty./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He skips ahead to another page, "Day 23 of my quest. I think I'm nearing the end of my journey. I sat at my little fire and thought long and hard. I'm now 100% certain that a vocal phrase is required to open it. I've translated these words so far: 'The cost of death is the price for life, may the White Phial end your strife, and.' I should be done with the translation in the next hour or so I think." Kund's heart feels hollow as he reads that last sentence in the book. Before he could fall into deep despair, an observation registers his mind. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The fire! If it's still here, then that must mean that he's still here. I can still get it./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Kund gently closes the book and lies it down. He breathes a heavy sigh of relief but also one of fear at another person being here with him. He trembles as he thinks about meeting this person. To think about the sword cutting his skin, him failing his quest, and being forgotten here in this fortress shakes him to his core. A dark abyss-feeling grows in his gut. He doesn't have any battle experience, he isn't that strong, and he is a simple person from a dying village! /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Going to it now would be suic-/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A pop sound echoes from the darkness, snapping him out of his daydream and into reality. He extinguishes the already dying campfire and becomes another shadow in the dark, ready to strike. As he moves through the dark, he hears something approach. He continues to progress, keeping his moves silent until he feels the presence of another within inches, but before he can make the first swing, a sharp blow on the head drops him to the floor. "Wait, don't kill me!" Kund yells at the attacker while he sword clatters against the stone ground. The attacker takes some quick steps away from him and the heat of a torch appears./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A gentle yet rough voice responds, "How long I've waited for the sound of another voice." Kund gets to his feet. "Why are you here," he asks again in a sweet yet rough voice./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I-I'm here for th- the White Phial," Kund barely manages to say. He knew that humans couldn't smell fear, but they can certainly hear it. The sound of his own voice only serves to worsen it as sweat begin to fall from him like rain. He awaits a response./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I see," he casts his gaze off to the side of Kund before returning it. Suddenly he slowly says with disdain, "Walk away and you shall live," Kund breathes a sigh of relief, "but, get in my way..." He laces his words with venom, "You shall die like the other."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"With the torch illuminating the rectangular hallway, he could see blood on the man's clothes, the scars of previous battles, and, most importantly, the White Phial hanging on his hip. Time seems to slow down for Kund as his mind plays the possibilities. A backstab here, a slit throat there, a couple of stab wounds, etc. Despite the mess his brain causes, he understood what he must do. Time seems to go back to normal. He grabs his sword as he picks himself up, and sheathes it. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The man visibly turns calm and loose. "Wise choi-." In seemingly an instant, Kund shoulder pins him to the ground, throwing the torch and their swords off to the side. Taking advantage of the man's surprise, he rams his fists onto the man's face. Quickly recovering, the man grabs both of Kund's arms and throws them off to the sides of them. The man unleashes a heavy punch to Kund's stomach before punching him in the face to get him off. He pushes himself up as Kund tries to get out of his daze. Multiple images of the man come into view as he charges but he can't tell which one is the real one. He throws a random punch at one of the images, but the man ducks underneath it and uppercuts Kund in the jaw, throwing his head up. Kund and the man's bodies slam on the stone ground once again as the man tackles him to the ground. Two firm and rough hands clamp and squeeze around Kund's throat. His vision goes blurry once again as he stares into the face of his killer, but he sees a bright flicker of metal to his side. Time seems to slow down as he realizes what he must do. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sorry, but I must do this for my people./spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" In an instant, he grasps the sword in his right hand and swings. Blood splatters across him and the man's body falls to the side. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He lays there in shock for what seems like an eternity. The blood feels so hot yet so icy cold now. Snapping out of his trance, he picks himself up. He recoils as he looks towards the corpse, but he looks back and grabs the White Phial from his hip. He firmly and quickly picks up his sword and torch. He proceeds back to the extinguished campfire. He could see the blue marks now as he approaches. He drones forward until he reaches a door, feeling nothing. He opens the door to the sight of the world, but even as the sunlight warmed his very being, it could not restore the empty feeling his heart. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"-/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Tut. Tut. Tut. Kund's slow steps echo across the cracked stone floor. The darkness enveloping and enhancing all of his senses besides sight. He could barely see in front of himself as he holds his sword close to himself, ready to swing at anything or anyone. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Why am I here? I'm just a simple boy from a sick and dying village. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He questions before immediately reassuring himself. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm the only one who can do this! Find the White Phial, return home, and save everyone. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He tenses up in surprise and fear at the sound of something creaking nearby. He gets closer to the sound and swings with all of his might, but his strike catches a flat surface. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A wall?/span span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"No, a wooden door./span span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"One step closer to the Phial./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong id="docs-internal-guid-e028b8ed-7fff-a759-94d9-cb7f3cb43edf" style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The door creaks open and there's still nothing but darkness. Doubt resurfaces in Kund's mind again. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What am I even doing here? I don't even know for sure that it's here!/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" However, before more doubts could surface. he sees something flicker in the distance. With his senses sharpening once again, Kund grabs the handle of the sword and dislodges it out of the door. Kund places one hand on the wall to his left as he shuffles forward. The closer he gets, the brighter the flicker becomes. He turns to the lit corner and sees a small campfire with a small book some distance away. He grabs the book and sits down near the source of warmth. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The hot sun, the cool breeze, and the warmth of home. I shall restore that fire! /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"His eyes perk up with renewed vigor and a stronger will. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Kund opens the first page of the book. It's a log for someone. It reads, "Day 1 of my quest. An incurable by-conventional-means plague has ravaged my city. According to legend, this White Phial shall heal all wounds, restore the fluids that reside in it, and cure any disease. My friend and I will reclaim this artifact. We must reclaim this artifact." /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Another seeker, probably a more dangerous seeker than I if an entire city trusts him. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Another page reads, "Day 15 of my quest. we've arrived and wondered this abandoned fortress for so long to some avail. I've found an exit finally! Remember me, follow the blue splotches on the ground. And, I've seen runes and inscriptions along a dead end. It must be where The White Phial is! I must keep translating to hopefully open it." Kund's gut drops at the thought of him traveling out here and the Phial already being gone, but a small part of him feels guilty./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He skips ahead to another page, "Day 23 of my quest. I think I'm nearing the end of my journey. I sat at my little fire and thought long and hard. I'm now 100% certain that a vocal phrase is required to open it. I've translated these words so far: 'The cost of death is the price for life, may the White Phial end your strife, and.' I should be done with the translation in the next hour or so I think." Kund's heart feels hollow as he reads that last sentence in the book. Before he could fall into deep despair, an observation registers his mind. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The fire! If it's still here, then that must mean that he's still here. I can still get it./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Kund gently closes the book and lies it down. He breathes a heavy sigh of relief but also one of fear at another person being here with him. He trembles as he thinks about meeting this person. To think about the sword cutting his skin, him failing his quest, and being forgotten here in this fortress shakes him to his core. A dark abyss-feeling grows in his gut. He doesn't have any battle experience, he isn't that strong, and he is a simple person from a dying village! /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Going to it now would be suic-/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A pop sound echoes from the darkness, snapping him out of his daydream and into reality. He extinguishes the already dying campfire and becomes another shadow in the dark, ready to strike. As he moves through the dark, he hears something approach. He continues to progress, keeping his moves silent until he feels the presence of another within inches, but before he can make the first swing, a sharp blow on the head drops him to the floor. "Wait, don't kill me!" Kund yells at the attacker while he sword clatters against the stone ground. The attacker takes some quick steps away from him and the heat of a torch appears./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A gentle yet rough voice responds, "How long I've waited for the sound of another voice." Kund gets to his feet. "Why are you here," he asks again in a sweet yet rough voice./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I-I'm here for th- the White Phial," Kund barely manages to say. He knew that humans couldn't smell fear, but they can certainly hear it. The sound of his own voice only serves to worsen it as sweat begin to fall from him like rain. He awaits a response./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I see," he casts his gaze off to the side of Kund before returning it. Suddenly he slowly says with disdain, "Walk away and you shall live," Kund breathes a sigh of relief, "but, get in my way..." He laces his words with venom, "You shall die like the other."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"With the torch illuminating the rectangular hallway, he could see blood on the man's clothes, the scars of previous battles, and, most importantly, the White Phial hanging on his hip. Time seems to slow down for Kund as his mind plays the possibilities. A backstab here, a slit throat there, a couple of stab wounds, etc. Despite the mess his brain causes, he understood what he must do. Time seems to go back to normal. He grabs his sword as he picks himself up, and sheathes it. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The man visibly turns calm and loose. "Wise choi-." In seemingly an instant, Kund shoulder pins him to the ground, throwing the torch and their swords off to the side. Taking advantage of the man's surprise, he rams his fists onto the man's face. Quickly recovering, the man grabs both of Kund's arms and throws them off to the sides of them. The man unleashes a heavy punch to Kund's stomach before punching him in the face to get him off. He pushes himself up as Kund tries to get out of his daze. Multiple images of the man come into view as he charges but he can't tell which one is the real one. He throws a random punch at one of the images, but the man ducks underneath it and uppercuts Kund in the jaw, throwing his head up. Kund and the man's bodies slam on the stone ground once again as the man tackles him to the ground. Two firm and rough hands clamp and squeeze around Kund's throat. His vision goes blurry once again as he stares into the face of his killer, but he sees a bright flicker of metal to his side. Time seems to slow down as he realizes what he must do. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sorry, but I must do this for my people./spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" In an instant, he grasps the sword in his right hand and swings. Blood splatters across him and the man's body falls to the side. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He lays there in shock for what seems like an eternity. The blood feels so hot yet so icy cold now. Snapping out of his trance, he picks himself up. He recoils as he looks towards the corpse, but he looks back and grabs the White Phial from his hip. He firmly and quickly picks up his sword and torch. He proceeds back to the extinguished campfire. He could see the blue marks now as he approaches. He drones forward until he reaches a door, feeling nothing. He opens the door to the sight of the world, but even as the sunlight warmed his very being, it could not restore the empty feeling his heart. /span/p