Chapter Two: Survive
The sun light was soft this morning, and patterned by filtering through the window onto my face. People were actively walking around doing their daily business. The City was fully awake in contrast to the previous dark gloomy night, that I entered into, and that dreaded dream. I rose from the bed and looked around at surroundings:
the room was built of pure wood, which seemed damp, probably due to the heavy rain during the night. You could see the marks left by previous inhabitants of the room; the bed was heavy indented; some of the springs have obviously been broken; the floor board creaked as I stood my weight upon them. The shouting from outside, 30 people conversing all at once, horses trotting past the window. My Cloak hung by the window, still. The innkeeper guaranteed that there were no thieves in this inn, which I somewhat disbelieved because this was the criminal capital of the five countries. I threw on my clothings & armour, returned my sword to the scabbard beside me, and attached my moneybag to my belt. I put my hand upon the cold steel handle, and the feel reminded me of the element on my sword. I drew out my sword a small way, then dropped it back to my side, then pushed the door open.
I began to make my way down the stairs. A few drinks had been left on the bar by some resting travellers. I had been such a resting traveller the night before, and they replaced myself in the innkeeper's eyes, as I did for another traveller before me. My left eye caught a dark figure in the corner of the bar. As I stood for a moment in his view, his hooded face turned towards me. His eyes hiding in the cover of the black hood, my eyes moved further down from his face to where his hand was slowly moving. His hand drew over a small shiny object long and thin with a tip. It was a weapon of unknown size. He stood up and drew the weapon from his side. His head turned away from me and towards another person gambling on the far side of the bar. As he began to make hast towards his victim he screamed just as he was increasing his speed. "I AM OF THE MASKS!" The reply from the victim was shock, but he still managed picked up a small dagger from the table. The hooded figure struck him first, and with one blow the victim was fatally wounded, with a major slash across his face. While the friends of the prey ran out leaving most of their gambled money behind, the hooded figure was descending onto the prey. The attacker threw the table to the left, leaving space to strike, and he wielded his sword ready to strike again.
I could see wrong was about to be committed, and I decided to strike fast as no one else was going to. I thrust my sharp sword through the attackers chest, and out of the front close to the victim's face. I withdrew my sword from the body, the bones crackled as I knocked them and broke them as I took my sword. The former attacker fell, and with it the grip of the weapon as it fell sharp end first onto the floor, and stayed there. The attackers corpse fell upon the body of the victim. I exited the bar, I could hear nothing at first then a sudden continuum of talk. Two guards approached the bar and gave me a strange but respectful look. I mounted my horse, and trotted away, soon developing into a gallop. Before long I was deep into my travels many miles from the city. I was heading to the mainland, away from Sekoth, away from The Five Countries.
The sun light was soft this morning, and patterned by filtering through the window onto my face. People were actively walking around doing their daily business. The City was fully awake in contrast to the previous dark gloomy night, that I entered into, and that dreaded dream. I rose from the bed and looked around at surroundings:
the room was built of pure wood, which seemed damp, probably due to the heavy rain during the night. You could see the marks left by previous inhabitants of the room; the bed was heavy indented; some of the springs have obviously been broken; the floor board creaked as I stood my weight upon them. The shouting from outside, 30 people conversing all at once, horses trotting past the window. My Cloak hung by the window, still. The innkeeper guaranteed that there were no thieves in this inn, which I somewhat disbelieved because this was the criminal capital of the five countries. I threw on my clothings & armour, returned my sword to the scabbard beside me, and attached my moneybag to my belt. I put my hand upon the cold steel handle, and the feel reminded me of the element on my sword. I drew out my sword a small way, then dropped it back to my side, then pushed the door open.
I began to make my way down the stairs. A few drinks had been left on the bar by some resting travellers. I had been such a resting traveller the night before, and they replaced myself in the innkeeper's eyes, as I did for another traveller before me. My left eye caught a dark figure in the corner of the bar. As I stood for a moment in his view, his hooded face turned towards me. His eyes hiding in the cover of the black hood, my eyes moved further down from his face to where his hand was slowly moving. His hand drew over a small shiny object long and thin with a tip. It was a weapon of unknown size. He stood up and drew the weapon from his side. His head turned away from me and towards another person gambling on the far side of the bar. As he began to make hast towards his victim he screamed just as he was increasing his speed. "I AM OF THE MASKS!" The reply from the victim was shock, but he still managed picked up a small dagger from the table. The hooded figure struck him first, and with one blow the victim was fatally wounded, with a major slash across his face. While the friends of the prey ran out leaving most of their gambled money behind, the hooded figure was descending onto the prey. The attacker threw the table to the left, leaving space to strike, and he wielded his sword ready to strike again.
I could see wrong was about to be committed, and I decided to strike fast as no one else was going to. I thrust my sharp sword through the attackers chest, and out of the front close to the victim's face. I withdrew my sword from the body, the bones crackled as I knocked them and broke them as I took my sword. The former attacker fell, and with it the grip of the weapon as it fell sharp end first onto the floor, and stayed there. The attackers corpse fell upon the body of the victim. I exited the bar, I could hear nothing at first then a sudden continuum of talk. Two guards approached the bar and gave me a strange but respectful look. I mounted my horse, and trotted away, soon developing into a gallop. Before long I was deep into my travels many miles from the city. I was heading to the mainland, away from Sekoth, away from The Five Countries.
