Note: Brackets [] denote thoughts
After three solid days of traveling, Sophitia finally took the time to rest her treasured mount, Atheas, at a nearby stream for more than a small thirty minute stretch of time. While watching her horse gulp water from the fresh, bubbling brook, Sophitia took a long drink from her own waterskin, careful not to let any of the precious droplets spill out, for she hated to be wasteful. Leaning against a solid oak tree and crossing her legs in her usual fashion, she fell into thought about the past, present and future..
[If these rumors that Cassandra mentioned are true.. if there really is a demon murdering villagers near Beroia.. could it be the Soul Edge? Does that German boy still have it? That poor, tortured soul.. while wielding that terrible sword, he could certainly be described as a demon.. and the mask, his helm? I suppose there really is no other explanation, unless the rumors are just myth..]
Sighing, Sophitia stood up straight and adjusted her traveling clothes appropriately as they began to bunch up near her hip. Stretching out in a relatively non-elegant fashion, after all, who was here to see her.. she set her sword, the sword of Hephaestus that Rothion had forged for her, in a comfortable position on her back and hauled herself gracefully onto the back of Atheas, who whinnied in minor annoyance at the disrupting of his rest. Atheas reflexively began to trot forward as Sophitia's heels touched his flanks, kicking up bits of cold mud from the road with a clopping sound.
[Could he have borne the burden of that sword for all these years? It must have been 3 or 4 years since I've last seen him.. I wonder how he's managed to keep it hidden for so long.. I absolutely must find him before something happens!]
And with that, she kicked Atheas into a gallop, rushing down the dirt road as a drizzle of freezing rain began to cascade from the sky, covering the world in tiny droplets of cold sadness.
... another 3 days pass...
Having made excellent time reaching the outskirts of Beroia in less than a week when the trip should take nearly two, Sophitia still slowed for no one, tearing into the city on horseback, her mount panting with weariness and exhaustion. She reigned in Atheas at the first stabled tavern she came to, quickly tying him to a nearby post which was close enough to a water trough to give the horse easy access, and pushed open the door to the establishment.
Almost completely overpowered by a horrendous, moldy alcoholic scent, Sophitia had to cover her mouth with her hand to avoid gagging as she stepped through the wooden doorframe, and was immediately greeted by boisterous laughing and the sound of beer mugs crashing onto hard oak tabletops. Ignoring the raucous crowd, she walked straight to the counter, forced to shove a large man out of the way who decided to try to get close to her. Just as the overly friendly oaf wiped his mouth and began to stomp back towards her, she turned to the counter and inquired loudly,
"Has anyone heard rumors of a masked demon with a greatsword terrorizing local villages?" [It sounds so silly..] she thought to herself, [but if it IS true..]
The entire tavern instantly went silent, but for the roll of a spinning dice as it dissipated its energy and fell to a halt on the top of a smooth wooden table. Sophitia swept her gaze across the room, but it was met by no one.
"Come on now, obviously you've heard of it, I need to know the details." [Judging by their reactions, there has to be some substance to it..] She stood up straight, adjusting her sword in case there would be any trouble, and passed her gaze once again across the silent room. Her eyes came to rest on the bartender, who was nervously cleaning the bar with a wet rag. "Please sir, I need to know." She was quickly losing patience, and was very tired from her journey on the road, and no matter how well her parents had brought her up, she wasn't in the mood to be polite with these ruffians for much longer.
The bartender, still not raising his eyes from the counter, finally worked up the courage to speak, "W-well, lady, it happened in the mountains west of here. Just a few weeks ago.. from what the survivors say, it was a huge demon with some kinda mask, just like ye said.. they said it was using some kinda blade.. something awful, it was tearing through people like butter.. it's just.. m- my friend, he lived up there.." the bartender lowered his eyes and stopped talking abruptly, continuing to absently wipe the counter like a zombie.
"I understand. I'm sorry." Sophitia said, suddenly realizing why everyone was so silent - many must have lost friends and loved ones in the tragedy, which now clearly contained some truth. Without another word, she turned to walk out.
"W-wait.. I heard he was seen to the northeast, on the way to Pella, just a few days ago.. make sure you stay the hell away from there, you hear?" the bartender called after Sophitia.
"Thank you," she responded simply, walking out the door and shutting it lightly behind her. [There is no doubt then... it may not be a demon, but something killed those people..] She untied Atheas's reigns and quickly boosted herself into the saddle, turning him to the northeast, "I'm so sorry, Atheas, but we need to run again.." As if the poor horse could actually understand his desperate master, his head drooped down to take a final drink from the half-full water trough, and with little prompting he began to gallop northeast, carrying his master as fast as his abilities would allow.
End Chapter 2 email me with comments/questions: kelaros@mail.com
After three solid days of traveling, Sophitia finally took the time to rest her treasured mount, Atheas, at a nearby stream for more than a small thirty minute stretch of time. While watching her horse gulp water from the fresh, bubbling brook, Sophitia took a long drink from her own waterskin, careful not to let any of the precious droplets spill out, for she hated to be wasteful. Leaning against a solid oak tree and crossing her legs in her usual fashion, she fell into thought about the past, present and future..
[If these rumors that Cassandra mentioned are true.. if there really is a demon murdering villagers near Beroia.. could it be the Soul Edge? Does that German boy still have it? That poor, tortured soul.. while wielding that terrible sword, he could certainly be described as a demon.. and the mask, his helm? I suppose there really is no other explanation, unless the rumors are just myth..]
Sighing, Sophitia stood up straight and adjusted her traveling clothes appropriately as they began to bunch up near her hip. Stretching out in a relatively non-elegant fashion, after all, who was here to see her.. she set her sword, the sword of Hephaestus that Rothion had forged for her, in a comfortable position on her back and hauled herself gracefully onto the back of Atheas, who whinnied in minor annoyance at the disrupting of his rest. Atheas reflexively began to trot forward as Sophitia's heels touched his flanks, kicking up bits of cold mud from the road with a clopping sound.
[Could he have borne the burden of that sword for all these years? It must have been 3 or 4 years since I've last seen him.. I wonder how he's managed to keep it hidden for so long.. I absolutely must find him before something happens!]
And with that, she kicked Atheas into a gallop, rushing down the dirt road as a drizzle of freezing rain began to cascade from the sky, covering the world in tiny droplets of cold sadness.
... another 3 days pass...
Having made excellent time reaching the outskirts of Beroia in less than a week when the trip should take nearly two, Sophitia still slowed for no one, tearing into the city on horseback, her mount panting with weariness and exhaustion. She reigned in Atheas at the first stabled tavern she came to, quickly tying him to a nearby post which was close enough to a water trough to give the horse easy access, and pushed open the door to the establishment.
Almost completely overpowered by a horrendous, moldy alcoholic scent, Sophitia had to cover her mouth with her hand to avoid gagging as she stepped through the wooden doorframe, and was immediately greeted by boisterous laughing and the sound of beer mugs crashing onto hard oak tabletops. Ignoring the raucous crowd, she walked straight to the counter, forced to shove a large man out of the way who decided to try to get close to her. Just as the overly friendly oaf wiped his mouth and began to stomp back towards her, she turned to the counter and inquired loudly,
"Has anyone heard rumors of a masked demon with a greatsword terrorizing local villages?" [It sounds so silly..] she thought to herself, [but if it IS true..]
The entire tavern instantly went silent, but for the roll of a spinning dice as it dissipated its energy and fell to a halt on the top of a smooth wooden table. Sophitia swept her gaze across the room, but it was met by no one.
"Come on now, obviously you've heard of it, I need to know the details." [Judging by their reactions, there has to be some substance to it..] She stood up straight, adjusting her sword in case there would be any trouble, and passed her gaze once again across the silent room. Her eyes came to rest on the bartender, who was nervously cleaning the bar with a wet rag. "Please sir, I need to know." She was quickly losing patience, and was very tired from her journey on the road, and no matter how well her parents had brought her up, she wasn't in the mood to be polite with these ruffians for much longer.
The bartender, still not raising his eyes from the counter, finally worked up the courage to speak, "W-well, lady, it happened in the mountains west of here. Just a few weeks ago.. from what the survivors say, it was a huge demon with some kinda mask, just like ye said.. they said it was using some kinda blade.. something awful, it was tearing through people like butter.. it's just.. m- my friend, he lived up there.." the bartender lowered his eyes and stopped talking abruptly, continuing to absently wipe the counter like a zombie.
"I understand. I'm sorry." Sophitia said, suddenly realizing why everyone was so silent - many must have lost friends and loved ones in the tragedy, which now clearly contained some truth. Without another word, she turned to walk out.
"W-wait.. I heard he was seen to the northeast, on the way to Pella, just a few days ago.. make sure you stay the hell away from there, you hear?" the bartender called after Sophitia.
"Thank you," she responded simply, walking out the door and shutting it lightly behind her. [There is no doubt then... it may not be a demon, but something killed those people..] She untied Atheas's reigns and quickly boosted herself into the saddle, turning him to the northeast, "I'm so sorry, Atheas, but we need to run again.." As if the poor horse could actually understand his desperate master, his head drooped down to take a final drink from the half-full water trough, and with little prompting he began to gallop northeast, carrying his master as fast as his abilities would allow.
End Chapter 2 email me with comments/questions: kelaros@mail.com