Why was he here?
Knotai looked out from the giant bell tower to see the sky darkening as the night creeped ever on in its eternal chase of the light while he pondered upon the question. Ever since he woke up in this world from that vision, he has felt something pulling at him. At first he tried to fight it, but the pulling began to become painful until finally he gave in and followed it. And that pulling had led him here. To this small port town on the eastern coast of whatever land he was in.
Sure, it was a decent size for a port city and being the only real city on this side of the Sleeping Mountains meant that it got its fair share of trade but it didn't really impress him when he first saw it. It looked like any other small sized port city with a bell tower in the middle with merchants and local farmers peddling their wares all through its streets.
It had been two nights since he last saw the druid and upon reaching the city, he had not found the answers he was searching for. Why was he drawn here? What was he supposed to do? And lastly, what was so important about this city?
"KRAA!"
Knotai was jerked back out of his thoughts as the sudden sound seemed to vibrate off of the bell in front of him, amplifying the sound. With a snarl on his lips, he turned and growled at the bird that was becoming the bane of his existence. The same bird that he could never seem to get rid of. He had tried to catch it for food, lose it in the thick forest, pelt it with stones to make it leave willingly, and even let the river current take him underwater a ways in hope of the bird losing him but always, without fail, whenever he looked up, there it was. It was as if the thing was mocking his efforts.
"KRAA!" The raven cried again.
"Alright already," Knotai succumbed to the inevitable. "I'm getting up. I don't suppose you can simply lead me to what I'm here for instead of me just wandering blindly around could you?" He snorted to himself, "No, that would be too easy."
He threw his feathered cloak over his shoulders and looked out again from the tower to gaze upon the sunset one more time before heading back down into the streets. To his surprise, his gaze landed on the form of that raven flying down towards the outer edge of town. He hesitated for a moment, "It can't be that easy. Could it?" With a shrug he vaulted over the edge of the tower and in a series of dizzying acrobatics caught and flipped his way down to the ground using small ledges and outcropping flag poles.
He closed the cloak around him and ducked his head as he slipped into the crowds, heading in the direction the raven had gone.
Knotai looked at the dark tunnel entrance in front of him with a hint of unease. He looked up at the raven perched upon the stone ledge above it.
"Are you sure about this? Most cities don't have an entrance underneath them like this unless it deals with the criminal element of the underdark. And trust me, little one, you wouldn't survive in the underdark."
"KRAA!" The raven leaned forward and screeched at his as if offended that he dare question its judgement and knowledge.
"Alright, alright, I meant no offense, was just making sure." He looked again into the tunnel. "I do wonder however, what could be so important to force me here. Well, seems there is only one way to find out." With one last look at the raven, he plunged into the darkness of the tunnel. A soft flutter of wings were heard before a small weight settled itself upon his shoulders.
It took about a minute of walking with his hand on the wall before his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. On all sides he saw a carved stone tunnel in various shades of dark grey and a light grey in front of him, indicating the open path.
After about a half hour of walking, he began to notice a red glow coming from a curve of the path in front of him. He walked to the turn in the path and slowly looked around it before his eyed widen in shock.
Laying before him was a massive cavern, miles wide. And in that cavern sprawled an enormous underground metropolis. A three-tiered cylindrical city was built here, where no such marvel should be possible on such a scale. Marble columns, archways, and a labyrinth of bridges climbing across a vertical landscape creating a kaleidoscope of shadows dancing over the earth that surrounds it all. All backlit and warmed within the red glow of some strange, crimson rock peppered throughout the city as a light source. And enveloping the entire top tier of this massive wonder was the largest forge that Knotai had ever lain eyes upon.
After a few seconds to process what he was seeing, he looks to the raven questioningly. "Ok, we're here, now what?"
"KRAA!"
At the sound, pieces of a memory start flashing through his mind.
A young female dwarf introducing herself as Maevlin apprentice to the Iron General. Ten dagger molds with a single black feather in each as a hand drips blood onto each. Ten beautifully crafted daggers, the handles given the form of a ravens head with a pattern of its wings traveling down to form the blade.
He blinks for a moment before looking at the raven again. "Well, I guess you are useful after all." He admitted grudgingly. "I suppose that means you are supposed to be my guide?"
The raven rubs its head against his cheek in answer.
Knotai chuckles a moment as he thinks of all the time wasted fighting the raven when it seems that all he had to do was ask. With a shake of his head, he steps toward the city with a new thought claiming a place in his mind. Always listen to the raven.
Knotai slipped into the alleyway just in time as a soft light spread across the road that he left behind. Low gravelly voices sounded as a group of four dwarves marched by speaking in a language unfamiliar to him. He let out a soft breath of relief as the voices carried on out of earshot.
These roads were confusing. Every time he thought he was getting closer, he would emerge onto a bridge to find himself back near the outskirts of the city. The entire place was a giant maze.
He prepared to step from the alley once more and continue his attempts to reach the forge when the sounds of two more voices hit his ears. They were a little ways away but this time they were speaking in a language he could understand.
"Did you hear the latest news about Thoren?" A deep voice asked.
"Let me guess, he has yet another idea on how black sand can change everything we know about how to work metals?" A second, more feminine, voice scornfully answered.
"Nah, it seems the old fool has finally snapped and left to go and get some of it in order to prove us all wrong." The male responded.
A burst of laughter followed the comment before the feminine voice calmed down enough to reply.
"So he decided to face the undead hordes alone just to get some black sand from Hollow's Cross? He really was mad. Good riddance to bad eggs." The voices fade into laughter as they carry out of range.
Knotai made a mental note to check out these undead once his business here was done. With a quick look around the corner, he darted once more into the street to attempt to reach the goal.
"A fated customer has arrived with an order."
A head of long silver hair looks up at the sound and her lidded hazel eyes dart across the shadows above her in search of the voice.
"And does this customer have the items required?" She asks to darkness above her.
A raven breaks free from the shadows in response and alights on her shoulder. It stares pointedly at a burn scar stretching from the top of her left cheek, running towards her lips and then hooking back up to end just under her left eye before it starts preening her hair.
She gazes at the raven for a moment before giving out a soft disbelieving laugh. "Come down here Ancient One and we can begin." She disappears into a vault nearby to fetch the items that she requires.
Knotai hesitates in the shadows. That voice sounded like the one from the memory. Sure it was a bit raspy and weathered by age but he swore it was the same voice. Should he act like he knew her? Would she think him rude if he didn't know her? Would she perhaps take it as an insult if he acted like he knew her and slipped up?
He heard the sound of footfalls coming towards him from the vault and swiftly jumped down into the light moments before she reappeared with the dagger molds in her arms. She stepped over to a bench and laid out all ten molds in a row before reaching up and plucking feather off of the raven for each mold before moving aside and looking towards him.
"Well, you certainly look better this time. You aren't carrying that half dead look anymore." She said in way of a greeting.
His hesitation on how to respond must've shown on his face because moments later she spoke again. "So it is true. Even though I remember you, you don't really remember me. I am Iron General Maevlin. And I welcome you to your new life once more. I have had everything prepared ever since your book arrived on my desk a week ago."
He tried to mask his confusion as he stepped forward to the molds. He took a small knife and pricked the tip of his finger before allowing a single drop of blood to fall onto each feather. "And just how much is it going to cost me to have these made along with receiving my book back?"
She scoffs as she brushes him out of the way and starts collecting the molds. It will cost you two gold a piece for the daggers as usual. And the book will be given back to you with the daggers just like always. Now, if this is anything like last time, you should spend the next couple hours "earning" the twenty gold that you need. Return with it in the morning and everything will be ready for you."
She takes the molds over to the smelter and begins to fill them with liquid metal before speaking once more. "Don't bother asking more about yourself or the past. I am bound by oaths and am forbidden to share more. And before you try saying that is unjust, it was by your own insistence when this deal was made with the very first Iron General. Now leave, I have work to be doing here."
The raven launches itself from her shoulder and back up into the shadows above as Knotai gives out another sigh and follows suit.
As the morning light dawns on the city above, a thin mass of feathers slips into the main forge before the feathers split apart, revealing a small pale elven man.
Knotai looks around and spotting the ten raven themed daggers sitting on a bench alongside a book, feels a small smile curve its way into his lips. He picks up the daggers and book and then leaves two gold in the place where each dagger rested before slipping back into the shadows once more.
He had some rumors of undead to look into and maybe an old dwarf to save if he could. And if, on the way, he managed to uncover the secrets behind the book, all the better. But he was in no hurry. After all he had weapons to protect himself with, a couple puzzles to keep his mind busy with, and a guide who wouldn't steer him wrong.
This was his story, and it had only just begun.
Author's Note
This story is a way for me to keep track of my characters progression in a campaign I am playing in. Up to this point is all backstory for him and as such I could do regular updates. From this moment on, this story will be updated when I reach a part in the campaign that allows for another chapter. After all, being halfway through a dungeon does not a story make.
That being said, I am a new writer and everything I have ever written (Not counting school assignments) in on this site and under this penname. I would much appreciate any suggestions or ideas on how to help me improve my writing if you are willing to share them.
Please do not confuse this with me begging for reviews. Whether I get good reviews, flames, or no reviews at all, I will continue to write. I do however desire to be a published author one day and this is just the first step in my path. This is to help me gain experience writing and to help me work out any issues that my writing style creates.
Hope you enjoy the story and I would advise following to know when the next chapter gets updated.
