(Ike)- Hello, you few brave souls who have ventured into this fan-made fiction.
(Fred)- Why are they few and brave?
(Ike)- Because you're here.
(Fred)- Wow. I did not see that roast coming. I should've. But I didn't.
(Ike)- Anyway, let's get on with the show. These things don't write themselves.
(Fred)- No, they certainly do not.
Chapter II: Strings Attached
The sun had barely touched the horizon when Darien returned to the village. He made his way to the butcher's den and dropped the deer in front of them with a grunt.
"I'll be back for that." He said, placing three silver triangle shaped coins on the table. The butcher nodded and got to work, and Darien turned around and headed across the street to the tavern. He ploughed through the swinging doors and made a beeline to the bar.
"Milk. Unsweetened." Darien said. The bartender nodded and silently retrieved Darien a bottle of unsweetened milk. Darien took a sip and sat down to wait for the deer to be ready. He didn't have a peaceful wait for very long though, as a drunk flipped a table over in the corner of the room.
"Who's the joker?"
"Dunno. Haven't seen 'im before. I tried to kick 'em out already, and he just about ran me through." The bartender said. An angry frown crossed Darien's face under his hood.
"I'll handle him." Darien said, standing and grabbing the corked bottle. Darien reached the table in just 4 strides, observing the table. Three men. Two seconds is all it would take. As Darien got within arms reach, the first man stood and turned to confront him. Big mistake. Before the man could utter a single word, Darien struck him in the forehead with the bottom of the bottle, knocking him out cold. The second swung a clumsy fist at Darien, and he ducked underneath, then smashed the bottle on the back of his head, sending milk and shattered glass everywhere. Two down. The third man turned to run, and Darien grabbed his head and smashed it on the table for good measure. Then the first man hit the floor. The bar went so silent that when mumbled to himself a moment later, they all heard it.
"Three seconds... I must be rusty." Darien mumbled to himself. He turned around and walked out the doors of the tavern. Everything was silent for several seconds more, until the barkeep spoke.
"R-right...so don't be misbehavin' yerselves, hear?" He stuttered loud enough for the entire bar to hear.
As Darien exited the bar, it hit him immediately how still everything had become. A light fog crept over the ground eerily, only visible under the light of the moon. Not a single house had its lights on inside, nor did smoke rise from any of the chimneys. Darien came to a sudden stop in the middle of the street, and complete silence permeated the air. No voices, no footsteps, no clinking of glasses or trickling of liquid. Not even nature peeped a noise. No crickets owls or scavengers to speak of. Darien's eyes scanned his surroundings in a panic, looking for even the slightest sign of life, and found nothing. Even the tavern was empty now. The wind suddenly made its presence known, rustling leaves and grass, and making swirls in the fog. Darien could see that the wood of the buildings was damp and the stone mossed over as if no one had been present for several weeks. Darien couldn't even pick out any smells except the smell of the forest.
In a flash, Darien drew his bow and had two arrows nocked. He moved slowly down the dirt street, keeping a close eye on the outskirts of town. As Darien moved through the village systematically checking for the townspeople, the fog on the ground seemed to flow around him, as if repelled away by some unseen force. As Darien turned a corner, a door on a regular village home creaked open and he ran to check. But before Darien could get close enough to look in the window something moved in his peripherals, something that most certainly wasn't someone from his village, and Darien snapped towards it letting his arrows fly. They flew between two buildings into the fog and the darkness beyond it. Almost immediately an inhuman shriek pierced the air, and seconds later Darien heard his arrows strike a tree yards away from the origin of the shriek. Fog suddenly began to pour into the alleyway from the darkness, and Darien fired another arrow into the fog. He never heard it strike. Before Darien could react, the fog around him seemed to take shape and wrap around his arms and legs, pulling him to the ground and holding him there. A figure appeared before him, seemingly comprised of the fog, with glowing blue dots for eyes and a wicked snarl.
Its fingers shaped into five inch wicked talons and it approached Darien, as he began to struggle violently against his bindings. As he did so, Darien felt his chest grow increasingly cold and his strength beginning to fade as if his life was being pulled out from him. Darien let out a sharp whistle, and just as the creature plunged its hand towards him, Darien's horse Matheus plowed through it, the creature dissipating into the air with a shriek, allowing Darien to grab the reins and swing himself up onto Matheus' back. As Matheus galloped out of town at breakneck speed, Darien looked back in time to see hundreds of the fog creatures floating in the street, their smiles fluctuating as if they were laughing at him. If they were, the sound never reached his ears. All Darien could hear was the intense thumping of his heart in his chest, as he felt the warmth of life return to him.
"I cannot do this alone."
TWO DAYS LATER...
It was dusk when Darien rode into a town named Dawnable, looking equally dishevelled as his horse. His cape was slightly torn at the seems, and he was covered in whatever the elements had thrown at him. His hair was messy and matted to his skin, soaked with sweat and water as much as his boots were covered with mud. Both half-elf and horse moved with a slight droop, a clear sign of exhaustion. By the time Darien and Matheus had reached the tavern, most of the villagers' eyes were glued to the pair. Darien dismounted and Matheus let out a small whinny as if to say 'Don't take long'.
"I'll try. Rest now, you've earned it." Darien whispered to his horse.
As Darien approached the tavern, apparently named the 'Drunk Pony Inn', he thought back to his journey. All the while his heart ached at the failure to keep the village safe. As much as Darien hated outside help, he had to face the fact that he could not face an army of Wisp Wraiths alone. It hurt his pride more than anything, but as his mentor Gryndall had taught him, being prideful is fine as long as it doesn't get in the way. Darien snapped out of his thoughts as the doors swung closed behind him. Although the usual bustle of a tavern during midday continued, Darien could feel watchful eyes from every corner of the room upon him. The room was pungent with the smell of beer, far more so than Darien was used to. If there weren't so many watchful eyes, he'd have scrunched up his nose in disgust. But regardless, Darien kept his cool as he strode up to the bar.
"Goo'day. What can I do ya for?" The barkeep asked in a heavily accented voice as Darien reached the counter.
"I'm looking for hired help. No flower boys or money grabs, I need the real deal for a good price." Darien said immediately. The bartender raised a brow, pausing before pointing to a table in the far corner.
"Tha' there is the Dusk Duo. A masked assassin named Rogue an' his par'ner, Shadow the fairy mage. They're the best mercs around." The bartender said, before turning back to Darien. "Yer sure ya don' need anythin'? Ya look like you could use a drink."
"No, thank you. I don't partake in alcohol." Darien declined, turning and moving quickly in the direction the bartender had pointed.
The two of them weren't hard to spot. Rogue wore black ninja garb and a cloak overtop, while a katana hung from each hip. His outfit did a good job concealing his appearance, so much so that Darien could not tell what race he was, much age. Shadow was a fairy perched atop his shoulder, with pale skin like marble, raven hair and clear sparkling wings. She wore a blue dress and held a small golden staff in her hands. Both of them were watching Darien closely as he approached. The moment Darien reach the table, he pulled a bag bursting from the seams and unceremoniously dropped it on the table with a loud thunk.
"208 gold pieces, all yours if you want it," Darien spoke calmly. Rogue leaned forward, and Shadow's wings fluttered in excitement. Darien had their attention.
"What's the catch?" A deep husky voice asked, so low Darien could barely hear it. Definitely Rogue's voice.
"You'll be accompanying me until I've accomplished my goal. The most notable obstacle will be a large group of Wisp Wraiths." Darien replied smoothly. The two considered it for a moment.
"Tell us more." Rogue encouraged.
"I'll tell you on the way. I'll be going now, so follow me if you want the job." Darien spoke, retrieving his gold and turning. The two took the bait immediately, getting up and following him out of the bar.
Darien took a breath as he finished telling his story. The trio rode down a dirt path several kilometres outside of Dawnable now. Darien rode on Matheus while Rogue rode on a white horse of his own, and Shadow sat on his shoulder. It was nearly midnight now, although with the brightness of the full moon lighting their way, it may as well have been morning. Leaves rustled around them as the wind picked up, sending an involuntary shiver down Darien's spine. As far as his intense training had gone, he had been soaked and out in the harsh weather for days already, and with little to no rest. It was starting to get to him. Neither of the mercenaries said anything for several moments.
"So...everyone was gone, just like that?" Shadow asked with clear skepticism.
"You don't believe me," Darien spoke. It was more of a statement than a question. Of course, they would be skeptical. There are always strings attached, on jobs like these.
"It isn't so much that we don't believe something like this could happen. We've seen our fair share of strangeties. I find it difficult to believe something like this could happen in this monotonous corner of the world." Rogue said simply.
"What he said. There are a number of hallucinogens and hexes that could cause you to see these things." Shadow confirmed.
"Understandable. However, I assure you both that I speak the truth. I'd not seek out help if I did not need it, and I was not intoxicated in any way." Darien told them. Another moment of silence followed.
"...If what you say is true, then someone has placed a powerful curse upon your village. It is impossible that such a thing would not have affected you as well. You were purposely not targetted by this magic." Rogue stated.
"I know this. We are likely walking into a trap." Darien replied. Rogue hummed in agreement.
"Normally we would charge a lot more for circumstances like this, but in this case we will turn a blind eye. My partner has a personal vendetta against people who hurt without reason." Shadow said, twirling the staff in her hand. Darien looked at them curiously.
"An assassin with morals, and a mercenary that doesn't want more money?" Darien jested.
"Rogue goes after bad men all the time, there just happens to be someone willing to pay him for it sometimes. Me, I'm just in it for the fun. Of course, the money is a nice bonus." Shadow explained with a smile.
"As long as we get my people back, or avenge them, I don't care why you're doing it." Darien spoke. It was silent for several more minutes before anyone spoke again.
"Will we be setting up camp tonight?" Rogue asked.
"What? Don't you know how to sleep on horseback?" Darien asked.
(Ike)- Well, that about does it for this chapter.
(Fred)- We sincerely hope you've enjoyed it.
(Ike)- If you want more, or if you just have an opinion about this story in general, leave us a review! It keeps us motivated to write.
(Fred)- This writing machine runs on feedback, after all. R&R everyone!