Greaber was breathing heavy while making his way up the mountain. It was a steep slope and although he was in good health, the long trip to the top of the mountain was wearing him down. He kept his eye on the castle looming ahead, its towers and thick walls providing living space for the Lords of Bak'nors Rock. The adventuring party who defeated the Lich responsible for the thousands of deaths during the Lichwars and who build their castle right on top of that last faithful battle against the evil undead. The entire castle was build from rocks found in these very mountains and was said to hold trophies of their adventurers, treasures found in other worlds entirely and the remains of various monsters destroyed by them. When he finally reached the gates he was sweating profusely even though it wasn't a warm day, his clothes sticking to his skin. A guard came up to him, wearing a chain mail with the symbol of Bak'nors Rock thrown over it, a military fork in his hands.
"Good day to you. May I enquire about your business at the castle?" The guard sounded friendly enough, even though Greaber looked like a commoner and smelled like a farmer. A strange experience for Greaber, haven gotten used to be treated rude by anyone but the lower class people he usually hung out with. "Ehm…I was supposed to go to the castle about a job offer?" He said questionably, his eyes darting from the guard in front of him, to the town which lay to his right, several hundred feet below.
"What is your name, please?" The guard took out a scroll, opening it up.
This was the first guard Greaber ever met who could read, a skill usually reserved to the higher classes and Greaber certainly wasn't one of those! "Ehm…Greaber…" He said, half expecting to be apprehended right then and there. He was getting more tense every heartbeat, while the guard was going over his list, almost at the point of running away a full tilt.
"Ah, Mister Greaber, they are expecting you." Greaber almost couldn't believe his ears, sighing in relief, his tension less then before. The guard turned his body in such a way that Greaber could walk past the guard, through the portcullis to the inner courtyard. "If you would kindly follow Garth, he will show you the way." The other guard stood in attention but now turned towards Greaber, a little smile on his face. "This way please." Greaber swallowed once before setting his first step and glanced up just before he moved. He almost aborted this step, when he saw numerous crossbowmen on top of the walls, pointing their crossbows at his direction, before they took their crossbows in their hands and set them against their shoulders. He had no doubt in his mind that, should he have tried to run, there would have been a bolt through his kneecap at the very least.
Garth led him through the courtyard, where several guards were training and the sound of hammering could be heard from one of the side buildings. They entered one of the largest doors and entered the inner castle.