Fable
Chapter 3
Archie awoke to the sound of creaking wood. His eyes blinked open, and his vision was blurred. From his prone position he rubbed his eyes, sat up, and took in his surroundings.
The room he was in was rather dark and he could only see thanks to the grace of moon's light that filtered through a window above and to Archie's left. The room was entirely composed of wood, which creaked every now and then as though it were a man in the throes of a troubling dream. Archie sat on the floor, instead of the soft sheets of a bed, and he was dimly aware that the room seemed to tilt and sway. Archie groaned, rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand.
He scanned his surroundings again, noticing a door to his right; he stood, careful to keep his balance against the tilt and sway. He crept to the door, and carefully turned the handle, barely aware of what was happening, or who he was, or where he was. The door swung outward into a hall leading left and right. The hall heading right ended with a wooden wall. To the left, were stairs bathed with a blue moon glow, leading somewhere open spaced, Archie guessed.
He made his way to the stairs, curious, yet numb as to what was happening. His footsteps echoed as he climbed upward, toward the source of the blue light, closer and closer to the moon. Finally he emerged to find himself on the deck of a ship; a large war galley he supposed. Wooden masts clothed in simple white garments seemed to reach upwards, towards the heavens, attempting to touch the distant stars. Archie's eyes lowered, to view the horizon.
Archie gasped, the ocean was far bigger than he had thought. Turning around, he found that the great expanse of water surrounded the ship completely, there was no sight of any land on the horizon, the sight was breathtaking, and far more mind enveloping than simply seeing the sea from the shore…
But… when had he seen the ocean from the shore? A sudden rush of the previous night's events consumed Archie. His face contorted to sheer despair as his eyes brimmed with tears as he once again saw his house behind consumed by fire's insatiable hunger.
He sat, hugging his knees to his face as he continued to cry.
Until he became aware of the distant rumble of thunder. He looked up. Indeed, there were storm clouds on the horizon. Approaching quickly, and with them came great swells of water.
Archie's eyes were now devoid of any sadness or pain; instead, they were now replaced with utter fear. Archie's face snapped from side to side, searching for anyone that could operate the ship, set it on a course away from the storm.
But there was no one except Archie.
The ship began to rock harder now, as the swells began to climb higher. Archie stumbled as he rushed to lean against the nearest mast. He pressed himself into the wood, holding on with all his might.
The crack of lightning sounded directly above him.
The storm was now directly over the ship, directly over Archie, and the waves only grew bigger, more enraged. Archie looked about him in horror, how could he survive this?
A shadow covered the ship. And Archie looked up to see the greatest swell of all; a towering wave, which dwarfed the ship by at least fifty feet, rose into the air, and began tilting downward onto the ship.
Archie screamed.
Archie woke screaming. He felt arms wrap around him, trying to hold him down. He struggled against it, but found he was too tired to fight. Tears flowed freely over his cheeks as he heard a gentle voice whisper behind his ear.
"You must not yell, nor speak loudly, or your wound will reopen and you will bleed, you must not yell."
Archie's breathing slowed and calmed. He opened his eyes.
It was morning. Sun light streamed through the window, landing on a girl with dark skin and white robes decorated with blue markings leaning against the bookcase opposite his bed, with a very impatient look in her dark brown eyes, with a hint of multi-braided brown hair hidden under a white cloth.
"Oh, please, he's just doing it for attention." The girl, whom Archie guessed was about twelve, said with a foreign accent and a disapproving shake of her head, her arms folded.
"Hush, Whisper! The boy has had his home burned down! Show a little sympathy, would you?" came a woman's voice from behind Archie.
Archie turned to see that it was a woman, with long, golden hair tied into a pony tail, and a matching outfit to Whisper, who had her arms wrapped around him.
Archie felt his cheeks heat up as he stared at the woman's youthful features and deep grey eyes; the only woman he had ever been hugged by was his own mother. Archie looked up to see Whisper stand properly.
"You're just too soft, you know that Nelsa?" Whisper asked.
"That is what I am here for; to be soft and caring, and to look after the boy's wound." Nelsa said in her defense. Whisper shrugged.
"Well, since the kid is up, I guess I should show him around." She declared. The other woman nodded approvingly from Archie's side.
"That would be best." She said quietly before unwrapping her arms from around Archie to stand by the archway. Whisper stepped forward, looking at the boy before her with scrutinous eyes, and Archie felt as though this girl were trying to size him up. He could only hope he didn't seem as weak as he felt. After a moment, Whisper nodded to herself as though confirming something and addressed Archie.
"So, you can't talk, right?" she asked.
"He should be able to now thanks to my healing, but only quietly, and not often." Said the blonde haired woman from the archway. Whisper nodded to her, and then turned to Archie, as though expecting something. A long while passed until Whisper finally spoke.
"Your name?"
Archie jerked as though by a shock, and tried to voice his name without hurting himself.
"Archie." He managed to utter. The word seemed to tug and scratch at the back of Archie's throat, and he had to struggle not to grasp his neck.
"Archie," Archie turned to face Nelsa.
"As you've heard, the guild master has given me specific orders to tend to your wound, should you over extend yourself and cause yourself harm, if my abilities are needed, you should return to the sleeping quarters, I will be here all day." With that, Nelsa nodded to Whisper, then exited through the archway, but Archie knew she wouldn't be going far.
"So, Archie, the Guild master has told me to show you around, don't know what he sees in you, you're far too scrawny." Said Whisper, placing her hands on her hips, and studying Archie's small frame with disapproving eyes. Archie stared blankly at the girl in answer.
"You know you were crying in your sleep?" Whisper continued. Archie stiffened, had she really heard him crying? He hoped not, he couldn't explain it; but he just didn't want to look weak in front of this girl, who seemed to exude confidence. And contempt.
Too late for that. Archie thought, as he remembered how he had awoken, screaming like a shrieker. He must've seemed like some sissy girl to Whisper, he thought.
"Sounded pretty bad, too. Anyway, the Guild master also gave you a message, he said something like… 'Have a look around the guild; take your time to make your decision, and talk to Maze when you've made up your mind'…" Whisper finished. Archie bowed his head, the message sinking in.
So he wasn't 'officially' part of the guild yet. Archie didn't really care.
"Right, follow me." Whisper ordered, turning to the archway and gesturing for Archie to follow before exiting through the archway. Archie sighed, scratched at his spiky hair, and followed.
Whisper led Archie through the guild, which was revealed to be made up of a large, two storey building taking up most of the guild grounds. On the top floor was the sleeping quarters, made up of two large rooms in the north and middle of the building, and the smaller room (where Whisper and Archie would sleep) taking the south part of the building. Whisper mentioned her distaste for these, saying that they 'smelled funny'. Archie didn't notice the scent, if there were one.
Downstairs, Whisper showed him the map table at the guild entrance, which heroes used to receive quests from people requiring services all across Albion. Details were written on official 'quest cards' sent by employers to the guild, detailing important notes about the problem, as well as payment for the completion of the service. Of course, the guild took a fraction of this payment in order to continue funding for food, bedding, and training.
Whisper quickly showed Archie the library through a passageway to the left of the map room, as well as the official guild shop through a passageway opposite the one leading to the library. The shopkeeper, Daren, gave the two a polite greeting, before they exited.
They continued between the passageways down a set of stairs leading to the mess room, or, as Whisper called it, 'The drunkard's den', due to the antics of apprentices who indulged in at least one too may beers each Friday night. The tavern master in charge of the mess room regarded Whisper and Archie with suspicion as they passed through, and his thick moustache and bulging stomach and arms reminded Archie of a bear.
To the far left and right of the mess room were two short flights of steps leading outside. Archie followed Whisper up the stairs to the left. As he finished stepping out of the guild ground's main building, Archie blinked as he stepped into the blinding sunlight. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked around, taking in his surroundings; to his left was a staircase leading to the second storey of the guild castle. To his right, a cobblestone road lead away to a courtyard
huddled against the castle. Further along the road was a tower, with the symbol of the guild emblazoned at its head.
"Up there is Maze's quarters." Whisper declared. Archie turned between her and the tower. He nodded silently in agreement. Truly the head of the guild would have the best quarters.
Archie turned away from the tower, to see the river running through the guild grounds. Archie's gaze lifted to look across the bridge and the river.
To his left across the river, Archie saw a cottage like building with open doorways. Next to it was a trio of dummies painted with red bull's eyes, sliding from side to side at various lengths. Guild apprentices fired at these dummies with delicately crafted bows. Archie watched in awe from across the river as a tall, slender woman in her early twenties, fired three arrows within the space of five seconds. Each arrow met the three dummies with immense force. Whisper nudged him out of his trance.
"Come on." She uttered before running across the bridge. Archie followed after her.
She quickly showed him the building on the left, which was revealed to be the servant's quarters. Not very interesting in Archie's mind. Whisper then showed Archie the shooting range, where the woman had shot the three dummies with such skill. However, the woman was now gone.
They began heading toward the southern areas of the guild, passing the entrance to the guild woods, where Whisper explained that wild game could be hunted, as well as large beetles the size of a man's hand. Archie shivered.
Just past the guild wood entrance was the sparring ring. A circle of sand ringed with a meter high red bricked wall. Archie gazed as he walked as two apprentices armed with mock swords made of wood lunged at each other, dodging, stabbing, and parrying with the practice weapons. From the sidelines, a lithe looking man clothed in dark robes, decorated with red stripes on his hood and forearms, watched silently under his hood. Archie could see the hint of a beard, and guessed that the man was in his late forties.
"That's Shadow." Said Whisper, following Archie's gaze.
"He's in charge of melee practice, when he is around. Best swordsman in the guild, besides my brother of course." Whisper continued. Archie stopped and looked at Whisper with a questioning frown.
"Your brother?" he asked hoarsely, as Whisper stopped just a few feet ahead of him. She nodded, a proud grin on her face. She began to inspect her nails as she spoke.
"Oh, you might have heard of him." She replied, as she held her hand out at arm's length, continuing to stare at her nails as though scrutinizing an oddly shaped rock.
"He's known as Thunder." She finished casually. Archie's jaw gaped in disbelief.
Thunder. The name was legendary. A legendary name for a legendary warrior and hero, a man from distant shores who came to Albion to reap great fame and fortune with his strength and skill. Of course, he was most well known as a champion of the Witchwood arena, located on a wooded island a few miles off the shores of Albion. Thunder had been a well known name particularly among Oakvale's younger residents, especially Archie, who oft-times daydreamed of fighting side by side with (or sometimes against) Thunder as a fellow hero.
His mother had commented on how he shouldn't look up to Thunder, as he was 'a massive, ugly brute with no class.' Archie waved off these words whenever his mother uttered them, and continued to listen to the great exploits of the hero from wandering storytellers and traders.
And now, barely four feet in front of him, stood the legend's sister. She shifted uncomfortably under his prolonged, disbelieving gaze.
"Um, could you… could you not stare, please." It was a command, not a question. Archie blinked, overcoming his shock.
"So, what next? Ah yes! The will practice area." Whisper declared. She turned, and continued running south, with Archie struggling to keep up. They eventually came to a bridge leading to a tiny island surrounded by a ring of water sprouting from twin waterfalls spitting from atop a cliff overlooking the guild. As the pair stepped onto the island, which was about four meters in diameter, Archie noticed three straw dummies, similar to the ones at the archery range. Whisper turned to him again.
"This is where we will be practicing magic, not many people here are too good at it though, except for Maze perhaps. Personally, I prefer to use my quarter staff." She said, gesturing with her hands to emphasis her point. Archie nodded, gazing at the dummies; they were slightly singed in places, and were adorned with various burn marks. Archie lifted a hand and stared at it.
The guild could teach him magic?
He clenched his fist, imagining what he could do if he had the power of the will at his disposal. Once again he found himself daydreaming of the things he could achieve as a hero. But a young, mocking laugh interrupted his thoughts. He and Whisper turned; coming across the bridge was a trio of older boys, all of them around fourteen.
The two shorter ones, who were quite bulky, took up the rear, with confident grins on their pudgy faces. The leader, a tall, athletically built youth, stared down at everything with his brown eyes as though looking upon something more insignificant than him. The three wore the robes of guild apprentices.
They came across the bridge to stand before Archie and Whisper and the leader addressed them as he slid his right hand over his finely combed blonde hair.
"Greetings, miss foreigner" he said, addressing Whisper with a high class accent. Whisper growled angrily in response.
"What are we doing today?" asked the boy on the right mockingly, his pale green eyes twinkling.
"probably bein' savage is what" the boy to the left answered. Archie could barely see Whisper's right eye twitching. The leader clicked his tongue, mocking disappointment.
"To think the guild is letting in savages now…" he shook his head dissaprovingly. Whisper's hands balled into fists as she struggled to contain her anger.
"And now she's teaching others to be savage as well" the boy to the left said, pointing a large finger at Archie, who stiffened as the three boys turned their gazes on him. The leader sneered as he looked at Archie's clothing.
"A peasant boy." He spat in disgust. Archie felt a knot tighten within him.
"Now, now, we should be courteous." The boy to the right cautioned. The leader nodded approvingly.
"Of course," he said, turning to his companions.
"We've been so rude." He said, his lips curling into a cruel grin. His companions began to giggle.
"What would our mothers say?" he finished, his companions doubled over in hysterical laughter. The leader quickly silenced them, and turned back to face Archie.
"This is Jeobe," he said, pointing to his left. The boy on the right, Jeobe, snorted.
"Darred," he continued, motioning to his right. The boy to the left bowed mockingly. The leader pointed to himself now.
"And I'm Baine," he said, stepping closer to Archie.
"Master Baine" he emphasized the word master, as he towered over Archie.
Archie had just made a decision about 'master' Baine.
"You'll soon get used to the fact that not everyone here belongs," Baine said, glancing at Whisper.
"Especially not foreigners." He finished. Archie could hear Whisper grind her teeth. Baine turned back to Archie.
"I expect you'll agree with me, hm?" Baine asked, mocking a smile.
"He can't talk, Baine" said Darred from the side.
"Or he just doesn't want to." Jeobe corrected. Archie continued to gaze up at Baine.
"Well, a simple handshake should do nicely." Baine held out a gloved hand to Archie, who glanced between Baine, his hand, and Whisper.
He definitely didn't like Baine. Archie turned to Whisper again, who was still fuming, and gave a subtle, unsmiling wink. She blinked in surprise.
Archie turned to look back up at Baine, and began to reach out his hand. Baine's smile widened, until Archie's hand enclosed around his wrist. Archie then proceeded to spit into Baine's glove.
"Why you insolent son of a-!" shouted Baine raising his other fist over his head to strike Archie. At that moment however, Whisper ducked in between the two and pushed Baine away. Darred and Jeobe caught their leader in their arms, and prepared to lunge forward to punish Whisper and Archie. Baine held them back.
"There's no point, that bastard's not joining the guild anyway." He began, his confident smile returning. Whisper stood between the three and Archie, curious to Baine's words.
"That farm boy knows he can't be a hero, he couldn't do anything about Oakvale!" Baine continued.
"So why doesn't that stupid little boy go back to his burnt down hovel in that Skorm-forsaken shit pile? Go back and join those miserable dead peasants that don't know a damn how to fight back!" Baine finished, looking behind Whisper. Darred and Jeobe chuckled. Baine turned, and his lackeys followed faithfully. The tension in Whisper's muscles now faded, and she turned now to face Archie in order to thank him.
But Archie was shaking. Terribly. His eyes were welling up with tears, as images of the dead once again forced their way into his mind. Tears now rolled freely down his cheeks, and Whisper's words of comfort were lost on him. Without thinking, Archie tore away from Whisper, who called for him to come back. All he could do was run, it didn't matter that he was tired, it didn't matter that he was being torn up from the inside by his grief.
All he could do was run. Run away, as though to leave behind the grief, the pain, and those cold, terrified faces that had names in life, men and women who had played roles in Archie's years as a child, they had told him stories, taught him songs, cared for him, been there for him.
And now, along with his family, they were nothing but rotting corpses.
Archie just made it across the bridge, when a pair of strong hands caught him by the shoulders. He struggled blindly against the man trying to calm him. But eventually he was too tired to move.
"Now, that's better." Came Maze's cold voice. Archie turned to look up into the mage's face.
"Those lads were giving you trouble weren't they?" he asked evenly. Archie nodded, wiping a tear away.
"What did you do?" Maze asked. Archie stared back questioningly.
"Did you try to fight back?" he continued. Archie shook his head.
"I can see you're sad, I understand what you're going through." Maze's gaze drifted away from Archie a moment, and Archie could've sworn he saw Maze's eyes glint with some long ago memory. Maze shook slightly, and turned back to Archie.
"But what do you intend to do about it?" he asked roughly. Archie averted the older man's gaze, considering the question.
"Do you intend to run from what happened like you run from a bully?" Archie's head jerked up to look up into Maze's bright blue eyes.
"What would your friends think of you? That would make you a coward, running from something that scares you, or something that's painful," Maze continued.
"Not to say you should stick around for every fight, but the things you do experience, you should try to get something out of it." Archie frowned. How could he salvage anything good out of the destruction of his home and family?
"As I said to you before; wouldn't your family want revenge if you were the one that had been killed?" Maze asked. Archie's brows furrowed, still uncertain of the man's words. Maze's eyes softened ever so slightly.
"Come with me." Maze commanded, turning to walk toward the courtyard of the castle. Archie followed obediently as Maze led him past expertly cut bushes; cut to the likenesses of various beasts and heroes. Archie found himself looking upon four coffins crafted out of silver and gold, set firmly into the earth. The symbol of the guild was emblazoned at the head of each tomb, shining of platinum. Small tombstones of rock were planted at the foot of each coffin, on each of them there were scrawled words written in gold. Maze motioned Archie forward.
"These are the tombs of Albion's greatest heroes," Maze began, sweeping an arm forward in the direction of the coffins. Maze pointed to the rightmost tomb.
"That is Holdr, he tamed the last dragon, and for a time protected the southern lands," Maze continued. Archie stepped toward it, and bent down, reading the tombstone
Here lies Holdr; who tamed the last dragon seen in Albion and founded the dragon knights. They guarded all the peoples of the southern lands.
Archie looked back up at the tomb behind the tombstone. His eyes suddenly widened. Instead of the grave being a closed coffin, the lid (which was sealed most tightly on the grave) was made of clear glass. Through this, Archie saw an aged man in his mid sixties; his face bore several scars, and he wore mail of the finest quality, and his body had been laid on what looked to be very soft sheets and pillow. A sword of black steel rested at the man's side.
"A spell is put on each grave to preserve those whose deeds shall never be forgotten," Maze explained, seeing the puzzlement in Archie's eyes. They turned to the coffin to the left; Archie peered in, and saw a woman who would have been of vast beauty in life; her hair was raven black, having been combed back with care and skill, she wore a bright red dress, decorated with golden vines. Despite not looking the hero for wear, the woman's youthful features did not hide (even in death) a silent determination in her furrowed brows and frowning, pale lips. An arms length rod was set next to her, at its head was an orb crafted in the image of a skull.
"Delfe, The most powerful sorceress in her time." Maze commented. Archie ran to read from the tombstone.
Here lies Delfe, once the most powerful sorceress in Albion. Though she dedicated most of her life to selfish pursuits and the torment of others, she would later repent and renounced her most devastating powers for the good of the guild.
He turned to the next tomb now; which held a man in his late eighties, his skin was wrinkled and old, and he wore a long blue robe, with a hood that hid his hair. His lips seemed to be set in a pleasant smile, as though when he had faced death, he had been glad to die in such a way.
"Solcius…" Maze said. Archie bent down to look at the tombstone.
Here is buried Solcius, the legendary mage who sacrificed his own life while performing his greatest spell, closing a vortex that threatened to engulf Bowerstone.
Now they went to the last coffin. Archie awaited Maze's explanation, but the mage was silent. Archie looked through the clear glass, but instead of finding a long dead legend, the sheets and pillow were without a body. Archie ran to the tombstone.
This grave awaits a hero worthy of the legends that lie here.
Archie turned, searching Maze for the reason he had shown him this.
"I'm trying to show you that your life is not over, rather you have an opportunity to start anew," Maze began, after noticing the question in the boy's eyes.
"These are heroes who made the most of an opportunity that many don't receive; they have earned recognition, and I dare say they felt they lived a complete, full life." Maze finished, studying Archie's reaction. The boy turned back to the tombstone of the empty coffin, pondering his words.
"All I'm saying is; This doesn't have to be the end for you. You can continue, grow, learn, and, as I said, if you are going to seek revenge…" Maze continued, and Archie turned slightly.
"Then this is the best place to learn how." Maze finished. Archie turned to face Maze fully, but didn't look him in the eyes.
"Just think about it, and besides, you don't really have anywhere else to go, do you? I suggest you do join the guild, you would benefit from it, see me in my quarters when you have made up your mind." With that, Maze turned, heading towards his tower. He momentarily stopped by Solcius' grave, staring at the man lying dead in his coffin, his eyes twinkling with an unspoken question. But Maze shrugged, and continued on his way, leaving Archie to his thoughts.
Archie was sitting in the mess room, pondering what to do next. He had lost everything in his life as a farm boy; his home, friends, and family. Everything was going by in a flash, without his consent or will. He looked up and around him.
He was in the guild of heroes.
The bandits, they had taken everything from him. They had cut away the choices he could have made had they never come, he could have been a farmer, a baker, a trader, a blacksmith, a…the list went on in Archie's mind as he realized there was no chance of him becoming any of these things now that he had no family to fund apprenticeships or education. So what was left?
'The guild' Archie whispered. He looked up again, to see the tavern master staring at him suspiciously. He ignored the man's gaze, and returned to his own thoughts.
So he would become a hero then, and then he would find those responsible for destroying his life, he would find the power to make his choices again.
"Farm boy?" came Whisper's voice. Archie turned in his seat to face Whisper.
"That took some guts, insulting Baine so openly." She continued. Archie gave the slightest hint of a smile.
"So, there's one place you haven't been to yet…" she continued. Archie nodded.
Maze's tower.
Archie climbed the stone stairs, each step echoing as he climbed higher and higher. Whisper had elected to remain below, saying that Maze intimidated her slightly. But what was so intimidating about Maze? Archie thought to himself. If anything, Maze's presence was cold, yet a great comfort to those on his good side, he radiated power, Archie recalled, he had felt it in the hairs on his neck.
He was fairly certain of what he would decide, though was still uncertain. Maze's advice had certainly helped him though, even if he decided not to become a hero, he would continue to live.
As Archie neared the top of the stairs, voices reached his ears. One was Maze's, the other… rumbled like a quiet earthquake. Archie climbed a few more steps in order to peek over from the stair case.
Maze's quarters were indeed well furnished; a large bookcase was set up along the right wall. Across from this was a study desk close to the stairs, further along was an inviting fire place, beyond these was a large window adorned with the guild seal overlooking the grounds. Maze stood with his back to the stairs, talking to someone.
Someone wearing a thick, blue fur coat. That was the first thing Archie noticed, but, looking up, his eyes widened, and he almost yelped with fright.
The man wearing the coat was a corpse, or at least, he looked like one.
Rotting, tattooed flesh peeled off the man's bones, the skin having turned a dirty grey with age. The man, or corpse rather, had lost all of its hair, with only a golden head band adorning the rotting skull.
The corpse's nose appeared to have rotted away, and his lips (at least, Archie thought it was a 'he') had all but disappeared, leaving half rotten teeth out in the open for all to see.
And deep in the corpse's sockets were the remains of two, glowing red eyes.
"The journey's length is of no matter to me," the corpse said, not noticing Archie peering over the stairway.
"The oracle must be protected; there is much I may learn there." The corpse finished with an eerie sigh. Maze snorted.
"How can you be so sure? We might need you here… Who knows what battles we may face?" Maze asked, showing nothing but contempt for the living corpse.
"The signs are too strong to ignore. Too long have the northern wastes been closed to us." The corpse countered calmly. Archie could sense some subtle rivalry between the two.
"Well, I hope you're not running away from a fight, trying to cheat death again… you know how people talk…" Maze answered, gesturing meaningfully.
"Talk is of no matter to me. May Death close his eyes to you Maze." The corpse finished, and taking a guild seal from its left coat pocket, disappeared in a haze of blue light.
A long silence ensued, Maze kept his back to the stairway, supposedly in deep thought. Archie turned to leave.
"What are you waiting for? Come in." said Maze without turning. Archie stiffened, turned, and climbed the last couple of stairs to stand behind Maze. The mage turned and, seeing the question in the boy's eyes, spoke.
"That was Scythe," Maze explained.
"He was a hero once, back when he had flesh on his bones, and blood in his veins. He's only a shell now." Archie swallowed the information with some difficulty. Maze turned away from Archie to stand in front of the fireplace, Archie could see Maze wrestling with some thought behind his bright eyes.
"What does he know of the choices we have to make?" Maze asked of no one in particular.
"Of what it takes to get things done?" anger rose in Maze's voice as he spoke the last statement. Archie watched and listened with a cautious interest. Maze sighed and turned to look at Archie.
"I assume you've made up your mind, Archie?" Maze asked, his face calm once more. Archie lowered his head in thought, it was now or never. He replied.
"Well…" Archie began hoarsely, hesitating over his answer. He realized this would be a life changing decision, but then what choice did he have?
Archie shut his eyes. He could simply stay here, and then have nothing to do afterward. Or, he could devote his full effort into this, and earn the skill and strength he would need to carve his own destiny, and avenge his family. He looked up at Maze.
Maze, seeing the look of determination in the young boy's eyes, gave a rare smile, knowing what Archie's answer would be.
"I will join the guild." Archie declared.
A/N: forgive me for some lack of introduction; this story follows the same one as the game, though I have come up with my own character for the hero (Archie), and I will be developing the characters more than they were in the game. I may also make a sequel to the lost chapters; perhaps delve into unknown aspects of the world of Albion.
In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far, and I hope you will continue reading subsequent chapters. Thank you to all who have reviewed so far. By the way, Nelsa is an original character, i promise to provide backstory later in the story for her.
