The squeaking of wooden wheels, the clanking of metallic clips, and the clopping of hooves were the only sounds to be heard inside the stagecoach. There were three people inside, but two of them didn't have the inclination for small talk, and the third had faded into silence when the others didn't uphold the conversation.
Reynauld had been the talkative one. Now he sat quietly with one hand resting on his hilt. The other was on the narrow window frame, and his helmet lay at his feet. He had yet to wear it since beginning the trip, and his dark beard and hair remained tidy. Dismas, the man next to Reynauld, propped his head on his hand. He kept his mouth covered with a scarf, possibly further discouraging Reynauld's small talk. If Dismas's companions were unnerved by the rumors surrounding him, he either didn't notice or didn't acknowledge them.
The third passenger, Lucy, was the reason they were all together. She wore a forest green dress and a brown belt around her waist. The sides of her brown hair were pulled back from her face, and the rest lay neatly down her back. She kept her hands folded in her lap and her stare out the same window as Reynauld.
The warm orange glow from the sunset didn't falter or give any warning before the entire coach suddenly inclined upward. It fell back down and tilted left with several booming crunches. The party nearly toppled to the floor, falling out of the way of shattering glass. Reynauld and Dismas were instantly on their feet and out the door. They spotted the two horses galloping out of sight down the Old Road. The driver was nowhere to be seen. Only one wheel remained attached to the coach. One was in scattered pieces, and the other two had snapped off.
Dismas put a gloved hand over his mouth in thought. "Well," he said after a moment, "this isn't ideal."
When Reynauld returned to the stagecoach door, Lucy was pulling herself out. He reached out his hand for her to take. "Miss, the horses and driver have fled, and we don't have the tools to repair the coach. We have to finish our journey on foot, I'm afraid."
"We're close to the hamlet. It will not take us long to reach it," Dismas lifted up a pair of cut reins.
"And how do you know that, Dismas?" Reynauld asked. "This road is overrun with brigands and bandits. They're the only ones left who know it well."
"I used to frequent it, yes," Dismas retorted. "And I highly suggest you do not press forward without me."
Any hopes that Reynauld had of confronting Dismas died instantly. "Yes," he said slowly. "We should continue on before it gets too dark, then."
The band abandoned the wagon and began their trek. Lucy pulled a torch from her pack and lit it, illuminating the trees and overgrown mushrooms with a flickering glow. "I hope the others don't mind waiting a little longer for us," she said.
"If we take too long, they'll come back and look for us," Reynauld said. "After all, you're the reason we're together."
"Sh!"
Dismas stuck out a hand in front of Reynauld and Lucy. They waited like that for some time before he lowered his arm and continued without another word. Lucy held her hands to her chest, wringing them together. She continually scanned the sides of the road for any movement.
"Halt!"
A man donning leather armor and a green hood stepped out from behind a nearby tree. "Give me all of your valuables, and I might just let you live." he growled. He pointed a sword at the group and gripped a dagger in his other hand.
Without a response, Dismas lunged forward and slashed at the bandit with a dagger that neither Reynauld nor Lucy had seen him unsheathe. The bandit grasped at his shoulder, removed his hand, and observed blood.
Reynauld quickly put his helmet on and unsheathed his own sword, but the bandit struck. He sliced with his sword and stabbed with his dagger. Dismas, Reynauld, and Lucy managed to jump back out his reach. Reynauld smashed the hilt of his sword onto the bandit's forehead. The bandit staggered backwards, reeling from the blow.
"Now, Dismas!" Reynauld shouted. But Dismas had already darted forward and drove the dagger into the bandit for a killing strike.
Dismas continued forward, pulling a cloth from his jacket pocket and wiping the blood from his dagger. Reynauld and Lucy exchanged a swift glance before following.
Lucy kept the torch as bright as she could. The sunset was fading now, and she didn't want any more bandits ambushing them in the dark. Soon, a dim light became visible further down the road. "Look," Lucy said, pointing at it. "Do you think that's the others?"
"We can hope," Reynauld said.
As they moved closer, a large, hulking form started to take shape. No one from the other coach had looked like that. The three stopped, watching the form. It stayed stationary in the light. "Let's go," said Dismas. "We'll have to face it if we want to reach the hamlet."
The shape was a man who stood taller than all of them. He made no attempt to conceal the cat o' nine tails he held in one hand, or the gun in the other. A second form appeared behind the first man. This man was smaller, but he was aiming a blunderbuss directly at them.
"You must be the party from the stagecoach," the larger man said.
"Word gets around, doesn't it?" Dismas muttered.
Reynauld stepped up to the man so that he was squarely in front of him. "Let us through, and we will not harm you."
"But we heard the heiress was coming," the shorter man spoke up. "Her family owes us some money, and we're here to collect."
Subconsciously, Lucy took a step behind Reynauld and Dismas. Reynauld tightened his grip on his sword and held it up. "I will ask you one last time. Let us –"
A loud crack cut Reynauld off, and the big man flinched. Dismas lowered his smoking gun slightly to say, "Enough talk, Reynauld. The bandits have no sense of nobility."
A trail of blood streamed out of the large man's right shoulder. He glanced at it before he raised his whip and dashed forward, swinging the whip down upon Dismas and Reynauld. The whip ends tore at them, ripping cloth and skin. Another shot sounded, and Dismas and Reynauld felt a bullet whiz past them.
They couldn't reach the smaller man, so they retaliated against the big man. Reynauld drove his sword hilt upward into the bandit's nose. He then sliced across the bandit's barrel chest. Dismas stabbed with his dagger, not giving the man a chance to recover.
A shot echoed, but this one met its target. Reynauld staggered backwards. He looked down at his chest plate and the bullet-sized dent that it now donned. He hardly had time to react before he felt another bullet graze the side of his helmet.
Dismas thrust again with his dagger. Reynauld shook off the blows and slashed. Another bullet scraped Dismas's shoulder.
The large brigand lifted his gun. He stared at Dismas and Reynauld, deciding on his target, before collapsing.
There was no time to celebrate. Dismas and Reynauld flanked the smaller bandit. He tried to land another shot. Reynauld ducked and a bullet flew over his shoulder. In a flurry of blades and one final shot, the second bandit fell backward onto the road.
A breathless Dismas managed to say, "That's that. Let's go."
With the bandits dead, the party pressed forward. The road sloped gently downward. Another orange light came into view. A stone bridge separated them and the light. In a few cautious steps, the light gave shape to a covered wagon and a balding man leaning against it.
Lucy let out a relieved sigh. "They made it, then."
"And so did we," Reynauld said. "Now our true task begins."
Dismas replied, "The 'true task' can wait until morning."
Hello, and thanks for reading! I haven't written and posted anything in over 3 years, but I have been really inspired by my first playthrough of Darkest Dungeon. This is my first time playing the game. I don't know the entire story because I'm trying to avoid spoilers. Still, the premise and the many different heroes are so interesting, and I just had to write something about it.
The chapters are going to be quests into the different regions and interactions that caught my eye. If you feel like it, I am really appreciate of feedback and constructive criticism. So again, thank you all for reading!