The following story contains the character Pillby Shortbarrel, who first appears in the fantastic story, 'When the Mead Flows Crimson', by my good friend, Harry, (A.K.A., The Young Bard). This will hopefully be the start of many intertwining stories between us!
Beneath the Branded Flag – Chapter 2
Haknir had been walking for nearly half a day, when he collapsed of exhaustion. He had no water or food, and his armour weighed down on him heavily. The sandy ground was almost comforting, for only half a minute, before it went into the pirate's lungs, and made him cough. His eyes slowly closed, prepared for his death in this alien land. How fitting it would be for a legendary pirate to die alone in a mysterious realm.
Haknir Death-Brand awoke, but no strong winds bore down on him, nor blazing sun. As he lay on his back, he saw a brown, waving sheet above, and several wooden posts holding it up. A makeshift bed and table were in one corner, against a wall of orange rock. A small fire stoked next to the bed, upon it a black cauldron sat, and from the smell, it was obvious a meal was being prepared.
"I see you're awake." a small, high voice came from behind the pirate. Haknir looked around, and saw a stout young man looking directly at him. The boy's hair was brown infused with ginger, and the hairs on his chin were clearly the first of many.
"Who are you?" Haknir asked.
"The name's Pillby, Pillby Shortbarrel. As you might guessed I am unlike any race you have seen before. My mother was a Breton, and my father a Dwarf." The stocky being explained.
"A dwarf? They disappeared years ago!" the pirate said, shaking sand from his face. Pillby did not respond to that, but instead checked how the meal was doing.
"I hope you like burnt Reaper for dinner!" Pillby said, mixing his spoon around before atsting the liquid inside.
"Reaper?" Haknir repeated.
"Aye, the halfling began, " small lizard-like rodents that run around on small legs and have claws. But I forget you've not been here long."
"What is this place?" Haknir asked, standing up and examining where they were. They were against a small rock face, in a small tent.
"I don't know. After my parents... passed away," the halfling evidently took great pain uttering those words, and while Haknir cared not for other's emotion, he wished not to intrude. He did not why he felt the way he did, but he deduced it was the fact he was alone, and irritating the only person he had was definitely not the best idea, "I started experimenting with magic, specifically the type that make a man disappear and reappear somewhere else. I trapped my soul in an unwarded pentacle, and next thing I knew I was here. Nothing more."
"Well I shouldn't be here." Haknir groaned, giving his bruised legs a shake.
"Oh?" Pillby probed, "I know fine well who you are, Haknir Death-Brand. I know the things you've done, to your own men! You have no sense of loyalty, honour, friendship. You care only about glory, and will kill your own brothers to get some. The only reason I saved you was because I'm lonely, and even if I'm stuck with a horrible, spiteful scumbag like yourself, it's better than no one." Then, the halfling poured two bowls made of bone with food, The Reaper meat was bright yellow, and tough to bite into, but Haknir took what he could get. The pirate was seemingly unhurt from the halfling's words, and thought such a being was below him.
The two ate in silence, before Pillby suggested they sleep. Haknir had no covers, but was so exhausted from the previous day's events, he caught sleep in no time.
Death-Brand woke early, and joined Pillby as they packed several pouches and left. The sun was still as bright as ever, and still nothing remotely useful lurked in the wasteland.
"You have to be careful. Reapers can spring from nowhere-" but as Pillby let loose the words, three lizard-like animals appeared from the top of a nearby sand dune. Their mouths had two rows of razor-sharp teeth and their scales resonated with a pulsating, purple glow. Haknir drew his swords, which only crumbled to sand in his hands, the gale blowing them away.
"What the blessed-" Haknir began. As he improvised, he reached for an animal bone lying on the ground. He brought it up, ill prepared for battle. To the pirate's surprise, the stout, little halfling ran towards the monsters. Although Haknir couldn't be sure, he swore he could see a gleeful smile on the little being's face. Pillby drew two small daggers, and jabbed them at the monsters. The reapers jumped back, then ran at Pillby. One of them jumped off the dune, but mistimed it's bounce. It smacked hard into the sand and fell, leaving long marks behind. Haknir wasted no time and swung the bone at the downed animal. It bounced off it's chest, but obviously hurt the creature. The reaper then got up and pounced on the pirate. A dagger then flew past the Reaper, then turned back in mid air and slit the wounded being's neck. Fresh blood spurted over Haknir, who darted out the way. Pillby then produced a chain from somewhere under his cloak and twisted it around the other two Reaper's neck elegantly. He yanked once and the monsters fell down the dune as the first one did and died on the ground in front of Haknir.
"Where'd you learn combat like that?" the pirate asked.
Pillby carefully made his way down the dune to where Haknir stood, "I was once part of a group of budding adventurers; a female High Elf named Arya, an Imperial named Anton, a Breton named Durandil, and a Dark Elf named Gildanestro. We fought together, until one day they died in some old mine, in a city near the great sea. While I was with them, I learnt so much. Most of all to always work together." The halfling took out a sword, "so take this and fight aside me next time!".
Despite the many differences the pirate and mead-drinking halfling had, for the first time in ages, it felt like everything was going to be okay and this one bond the two had was inseparable.