Lore/Story A Book I've Been Writing

So to give some context, I have been writing this for fun for about a bit now. There are 14 pages and nearly 7150 words. Hope you enjoy it.


PROLOGUE


Province of Fruma

~998 AP (After Portal)


The morning rays of the sun shone brightly through the cracks of the house directly onto Will’s face. After several minutes, Will awoke and sat upright. Groggily, he got out of bed only to fall face first onto the floor. The bed he had been using belonged to his parents. They were both of above average height, which led to Will falling off the bed, and highly skilled warriors. Skilled to the point that the army hired them to protect merchants as they traveled in and out of Fruma. As he thought of his parents, he felt a pang of sadness.


He should be celebrating his 16th birthday today, not thinking sadly. Though he didn’t plan to celebrate, he needed to get ready for his plans. He donned his clothing which consisted of a tan tunic and a close fitting shirt that was a little loose on him, grabbed his cloak, and stepped outside. The town’s buildings consisted of numerous one story houses and buildings, marketplace stalls, an inn, a large tavern, and on the hill that overlooks the town sits a massive castle that belonged to the king of Fruma. The buildings of the town were made mostly of stone, with beams of wood. He was greeted to the sight of a bustling street with merchants and skilled workers trying to sell their goods at the weekend market. Will began walking down the street, and after a moment, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.


“Good morning birthday boy, or should I call you young man now?” said the Blacksmith followed by a hearty laugh. While Will is short, lean muscled, and nimble with messy light brown hair and piercing hazel eyes that seem to change color in the sunlight, the Blacksmith is also short with brushed jet black hair and brown eyes but his muscles are well defined from the repetitive hammering away while he works at his shop. The Blacksmith was wearing similar clothing to Will but with the exception of a heavy apron to protect him from the sparks and heat of his craft. When Will’s parents weren’t there, the Blacksmith was always the first to come running to Will’s aid. His parents were very good friends with this Blacksmith. He possessed a rare ability that allowed him to forge armor and weapons that had the capacity for magical properties. Throughout his childhood, Will remembers the Blacksmith coming to his house to spend time with his parents. The Blacksmith often gave them equipment or repairs in exchange for stories of their work. Most of these deals were decided on after everyone had their fair share of Nemract whiskey.


The Blacksmith spoke once more.“This is for you, young man.” He then handed a wrapped parcel to Will, “This is a gift your parents wanted me to make for your 16th birthday.


The thought of the boy’s parents awakened something within the Blacksmith. His body sagged and a lump formed in his throat. “I’m sorry Will.” After a brief pause, he added “Have you heard any word from them?”


With painstaking annunciation, Will replied “No, but it’s fine, just tell me about the present.”


After a moment’s hesitation, the Blacksmith began to speak once more normally. “They said that had you received it any sooner, it would go to waste. You may have been very skilled with knives but you wouldn’t have any real need for them until now. You are of age to join the military now after all.” The Blacksmith watched patiently as Will opened the gift. Enclosed within the parcel were of a pair of daggers that were about a third shorter than his forearms. Both blades were a dark black with deep purple characters from an ancient language yet they were completely dulled.


“These blades were constructed from an incredibly rare material that was given to your parents as a reward for their hard work. I think it was some material from space,” the Blacksmith added as an afterthought.


Will stood there stunned for a few seconds and the Blacksmith thought he saw a flash of excitement in the young man’s eyes. Once Will noticed, his mind stopped wandering and asked “If the daggers are so rare, how come they duller than anything I’ve ever seen?”


“That’s one of the interesting properties these blades possess,” he said with a large grin on his face. He took pride in his work, and was excited to brag about it. “The more you use them and how strong you are, both mentally and physically, determine the sharpness of the daggers. Essentially, the better you become with the weapons, the better the weapons become. Be careful with those blades.”


“I’ll try, sir” Will said with a hint of sarcasm. It was preposterous to say be careful with a weapon.


He began reaching for the daggers. The moment he made direct contact with the blades, a painful reaction occurred within him. This sensation felt as if he was struck by lightning, the electricity flowing through his body, burning every inch of him inside and outside. Unprepared for this agony, he screamed for a brief moment, attracting the stares of those around. Slowly, the pain dissipated and a small amount of steam could be seen rising off him. When he looked down once more, he saw the cloth that had previously been holding the daggers floating towards the ground in perfect halves. How sharp were these daggers?


As if in response to what Will was thinking, “Just how much did your parents train you before they disappeared?” The Blacksmith asked incredulously.


“Just enough to defend myself,” Will said casually.


“Are you sure about that?” The Blacksmith asked with an eyebrow raised. Will didn’t respond.


“Oh, I almost forgot, here” the Blacksmith said as he extended a dual sheath made of leather with a small amount of oil on the interior to keep the blades from rusting. “I thought something to hold them would come in handy so I made this for you, free of charge of course. With that out of the way, I will be on my way. Remember, if you ever need anything, just come on down to the shop. I’ll always make time for you.”


Will’s eyes slitted slightly at that comment, “I’ll bare that in mind.” He had no intention of doing so.


With that being said, the Blacksmith went back to his storefront to sell equipment.


Will put on his new sheath, and slid the blades into it. He began his trip back to his house, and once he returned, he closed the door behind him. From there, he made his way to the back yard where he had set up multiple practice dummies. With some of his spare money, Will purchased multiple scarecrows from some farmers and equipped them with some light chainmail armour. In total, there were 9 practice targets scattered around the back yard, arranged in completely random patterns. He couldn’t help but look at the backs of his hands to see the small scratches that were caused by him punching the targets barehanded. Finally he unsheathed his daggers and took his fighting stance.


When Will was younger, his father had taught him a technique for movement called “Flash Step”. This skill is used to cover a short distance almost instantly, as if the user were a flash of light. Remember his words, Will thought to himself as he prepared himself. His father’s words echoed in his mind: with the soles of your feet, catch the ground. After that, capture the world with your speed. Only then will you be able to master the Flash step.


As an arrow is released from a longbow, his lean muscled frame shot forward instantaneously. Finishing his movement, he spun the daggers around in his hands and went to resheath them. When the daggers entered their leather homes, the heads of the three nearest targets dropped to the dirt. Will looked back to see that he had cleared about 15 feet in the blink of an eye. This was farther than he had ever gone before, maybe it had something to do with the daggers his parents left for him. “Look how far I’ve come dad”, he said shakily, choking back a tear.


Next he went to one of the undamaged scarecrows and sized it up. After a small assessment, Will unleashed a barrage of heavy hitting punches and elbow strikes. The residents of the town passing by could only wonder where the loud clanging noise was coming from. Little did they know that the determined 16 year old was practicing hand to hand combat. Because his hands began dripping with blood, his fists eventually slipped off the target. He hadn’t noticed any pain until he stopped. His movements were much faster and stronger now in comparison to when he started a year ago. With that, he went inside his house to wrap his fists and elbows slightly. After all, he’d need to use them later. Now finished with the wrapping, his legs fell out from underneath him as he collapsed from fatigue.


Groggily, Will awoke to the sound of his empty stomach growling at him. It seemed that he worked up a bit of an appetite. Will decided to drop by the Tavern for some lunch. With the busiest time for shopping past, the streets were far less crowded than earlier that morning. There were still some people shopping, but the best deals and best items were already sold. Will kept his head cast down while he made his way through the streets until he finally made it to the Tavern and walked through the door. The interior of the Tavern was wooden with support columns made of the same material. There was a bar stocked with some Nemract Whiskey and some various potions. A few chairs facing the bar and numerous occupied tables filled the empty spaces within the building. The atmosphere was very joyous but there was a slight undertone. Was it animosity? Inside he was greeted to the smell of roasting steak and potatoes boiling. He heard the chatter of a dozen or two adventurers talking about their quests, their adventures, and their loot. There were two staff members on shift when Will walked in, a man and a woman. The man looked like an adventurer, but he was working at the bar and the kitchen. The woman was tall, slim, and elegant, with a cute charm while she moved in between all the tables. Her eyes always seemed to shine brightly, and yet they shone the most for Will. Her liveliness was infectious and Will felt as if a slight weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He stood up a little more. She noticed Will waiting by the door and flashed him a smile. “I’ll be right with you Will, just take a seat anywhere you like.”


He needed no more invitation. Will glanced around and found his usual table. He made his way to a table in the corner that had a single chair facing towards the entrance. After sitting down and getting comfortable, he assessed the adventurers enjoying their lunch. The majority of them were the loud and boastful warrior types. Spear in one hand and a mug of alcohol in the other. Often telling greatly exaggerated tales of their feats of strength and courage. Two of these warriors caught Will’s eye. One was a young man, tall, broad shouldered, well built, bragging to his group about how he was the strongest young warrior in their town. The other was a burly adventurer that seemed to be regarded with annoyance, anger, or fear by those around him. There was one mage sitting with some warriors, evident by the staff that was resting beside her. I’ll learn magic soon enough. A few of the adventurers had long bows slung around the backs of their chairs. All of the archers were having a good time with their parties save for one. Will couldn’t quite read the archer sitting by themselves with an irregularly patterned cloak with a hood on. Hell, he couldn’t even determine a gender for the person, but he felt as if he was being watched by them.


“Sorry to keep you waiting Birthday Boy,” the waitress started to say when she looked him over. “What happened to your arms and hands? It looks painful.”


“Just some hard training, don’t worry. I’m fine.” He said, eyes staring towards the floor.


“Let me help you out. What would you like for lunch today Will?” She asked with joyous energy.


“Can I just have what's cooking currently?”


“Of course. You turned 16 today, right?”


“Yeah,” He said with a definite tone of sadness in that single word.


“Hey, cheer up. You’re now 16, so let me throw in a small health potion for free with the meal. It’ll be our little secret.” Whispering, she added those last words with a wink and a finger on her lip as to say “Shhh.”


“I guess that's fine.”


“I’ll get everything quickly for you.” She ran off to the bar then the kitchen. She emerged just a few moments with the steak and potatoes still steaming, and went back to the bar. The man handed her a glass bottle filled to the top with red liquid. Gracefully, she dodged all the tables separating Will and herself, while still maintaining full control of the platter in her hands. When she arrived, she placed the food down in front of him and handed him the bottle.


“There’s your food, and here’s your potion. It should heal you right up.” She flashed him another smile. “I’ll leave you be while you eat, just flag me down if you want someone to talk to, need some more food, or to pay.” Her cheerfulness was infectious, but not enough.


“Alright, I think someone else needs your help right now.”


“Okay. Well, I’ll see you later.” She hurried off to the next table to help them out.


Will slowly lowered the potion without drinking it. After it was placed on the table, he picked up the steak and bit into it. The steak was carefully cooked but still retaining the juiciness, with a blend of herbs, and a hint of salt. Too bad for Will, he couldn’t taste any of it. To him, the steak was just nurishment. He went on chewing the meat hoping to taste something, to no avail. He put the potatoes that had been mashed with some salt and some garlic in his mouth and chewed. “Still no taste,” he said quietly to himself. He then quietly finished his tasteless meal and flagged down the waitress.


“How was the food?” She asked eager to hear his critique. Maybe today he’d actually review the food as good, it’s been a year since he had.


“It was fine.” He said bluntly.


Her smile slipped for just a second, but it was enough time for Will to see the hint of anguish in her eyes. She remembered when he was so full of life in that instant. Almost as quickly as the smile faded, it returned. “Would you like to pay now?”


“Yeah, how much?”


“That’ll be an emerald for everything.”


“Alright,” he reached into his purse and pulled out an emerald block.


Emeralds are the only form of currency and could be obtained by either killing monsters or trading with people. A block of emerald is created by going to a bank and compressing 64 emeralds into a small block. No more and no less emeralds could be used or the cube would crumble away or not be able to be converted back into 64 emeralds.


Her eyes widened at the sight of the small cube. “This is way too much for a simple meal!” she nearly shouted. The commotion drew the attention of the adventurers of the Tavern and Will felt all their gazes on him.


“How did short stuff get an entire emerald block?” “I feel like I’ve seen him before.” “Didn’t his parents desert the military a year ago?” The conversations were filling the space.


“Just take it, the rest is a tip for you.” He said hurriedly, trying to finish the transaction as soon as possible.


“Okay, I’ll take it, but the next meal is on me,” she winked at him and flashed the most heart warming smile she could muster.


Please just leave. As if she read his mind, she left. Not quick enough as it turns out. The burly adventurer began walking up to Will’s table. The closer he got, the more apparent that he probably hadn’t bathed in a long time. As the man walked to the table, he started speaking. “That seems like a large amount of money for a child like yourself.”


“It’s not even that much,” Will said coldly.


“Wow guys, it seems this one has got an attitude.” He looked around to see numerous faces staring with disappointment, sadness, or fear. This isn’t the first time he has done something like this. “I think I ought to teach him a lesson. Now listen here kid, we don’t disrespect our elders in this Tavern. Now be a good boy and hand me the purse, I wouldn’t want something bad to happen to your family.”


The words echoed in Will’s head growing louder with each time they repeated. His eyes went from their normal blank stare to a cold glare. “Good luck with that.” The words escaped his mouth so harshly the man actually took a step backward. This action was greeted with the snickering of the previously frightened people of the Tavern. As the man looked around, the snickering died down immediately. He couldn’t let that slide, he needed to reassert his status as a dominant force here. He took more steps until he got to the table. Without any indication, he then snatched the purse off Will’s side then started walking away. “You’re lucky this is all I’m taking, most people would also pay by becoming my punching bag.”


“Really? Lame.” Will said this quietly to himself. That purse had belonged to his mother, and it was one of the few things he had from her. He didn’t even entertain the idea of letting some blubbering ruffian take it from him. Will stood up calmly yet silently. Just like before. The thought of his mother’s belongings being taken by such a disgraceful barbarian filled him with something more ominous than hate. His body tensed, hands on the hilts of his daggers, and a look so sharp that it could kill. The chatter in the room suddenly fell silent. The man froze where he stood, feeling an overwhelming bloodlust directed towards him. After a moment, Will dropped his hands from the daggers and relaxed. When the man could finally turn around, he took a sharp intake of breath seeing the kid he just stole from standing up. He placed the purse into his bag and put his hand on the hilt of his sword while wondering if that feeling of fear came from the kid.


“Are we going to have a problem?” The man asked while walking towards Will, drawing his sword. Once he stood 10 feet away from Will, a sudden jarring impact to his jaw took him completely off balance. From the audience’s point of view, Will seemed to teleport in front of the man and land a clean punch to the jaw, which produced a sickening crunch. They didn’t know that the crunch was not only the man’s jaw shattering, but also from Will’s hand breaking. His hand was already weakened from earlier, but this strike broke it. He winced. What happened next could only be described by the people as an act of karma. Off balance by the blow, he was sent to the floor, landing on his back. Without missing a beat, Will snatched the blade from the man and stabbed it through his hand into the floor, acting as a stake into the dirt. The man's screams could be heard from the outside of the building. Will ripped open the bag and reclaimed his purse. With ice in his voice, he asked “It’ll be hard to steal from others with only one good hand, won’t it be?”


Fear filled the man’s eyes, “Yes... it would be very difficult.”


“Now listen to me, if I ever catch wind of you doing this to anyone else, you won’t be able to feed yourself anymore.” Absolute terror filled the man’s eyes and he started whimpering. Looking around, Will couldn’t seem to find the cloaked figure anywhere in the Tavern. Walking back to the table, he grabbed the health potion, and drank all of it in one draft. All his wounds began to fill in themselves and he became as good as new. He then decided to leave and go home before too many people questioned him.


As he made it out of the Tavern, everyone watched in shock. Passersby from outside were coming in while Will walked out. Head down, he made his way home, making sure to not interact with anyone. Once he got home, Will laid on his bed and went to sleep again.


He awoke once more as the sun was going down. The time to celebrate his birthday was rapidly approaching. He put on his cloak, grabbed his daggers, emptied his purse under his bed, and tied the now empty purse to his waist. Less than a minute later, he was out the door.


Guided by the light of dusk, Will lightly jogged down a rough trail through the forest. Around 5 minutes away from the village, he found what he was looking for. A very small clearing hidden within the brush of the forest. Heavy foliage surrounds the clearing, with what looked like a large rock in the center. Will slowly walked towards the rock. Upon further inspection, the rock was fake. It was wooden, painted to look like a rock. When it was pushed out of the way, a hidden passage was revealed. Stories told by traveling bards described battles where a castle would be sieged, and how the kings would have a secret pathway to escape death. Using this information, Will spent the last year searching for a hidden passage into the castle. He found just what he was looking for about a week ago, this was his path. With nothing left to do, he went inside and closed the entrance behind him.


Now fully inside, he raised his hand to touch the ceiling then the walls. With his hands to guide him, he found that the passage was structured much like a miner’s tunnel, wooden support beams every now and then. The walls were made of compacted dirt, and yet it crumbled a tad at a slight touch. In the darkness where only his footsteps could be heard, a smell presented itself. The tunnel reeked of mold, due to the lack of airflow and dampness of the ground. Stumbling along the way, he slowly but surely he made his way through the darkness. Gradually the smell of mold lessened until it was completely gone and a glimmer of light could be seen. I must be approaching the exit. Once at the end of the tunnel, there were steps leading upward. Climbing to the top of the steps, he slowly looked around. It seemed that he was within the walls of the castle. With no guards around him, he quickly moved towards the main building of the castle.


The entrance room was quite grand, with walls of stone bricks and support columns made of polished stone that shimmered in the flickering light. Filled by torch light from the walls and glowstone hanging from the ornate chandeliers, the room shone brightly and illuminated the way that Will would need to go. Making his way to the center of the room, and made his way to the hallway to the left. Quickly but silently, he effortlessly ran through the hall until he stumbled upon a singular room filled with books of all kinds and a single book in the middle. He stood outside the room and just gazed inside. The walls were bookshelves, holding enormous amounts of books far as the eye can see.


The king of Fruma was more than just a man. He and a very select few had access to the ability to use magic. His extreme mastery of the magical arts could contribute to why he is considered the most powerful man in the country. Magic isn’t something you can be born with. Magic is the ability to control the mana flowing through one’s body. The source of magic comes from astrological phenomena called Comets. These chunks of space rock are filled with mystical materials that have a strange effect on living creatures. When a living being comes into contact with these materials, they change on the fundamental level. It shocks the body to start producing mana on its own, allowing the user to have the ability to use magic. The problem was that such a shock to their bodies would often cause those afflicted to descend into madness. Several rulers of multiple countries found that these Comets were too dangerous to be left lying around, and so they decided to hide the space rocks away from the population. One such Comet is hidden within the walls of the castle in Fruma.


As Will began to walk inside, a chill ran down his spine. It was as if someone were watching him again. Shaking his head, he convinced himself that it was just his nerves. Stepping inside, the young man made his way to the singular book in the center. Stopping right in front of the book, he studied it. The lone book looked as if it had been made recently, leather binding for a spine and a forest green cover with strange engravings on it. After further inspection, his body froze and dropped the book to the floor. Those strange engravings looked awfully familiar. With shaking hands, he slowly pulled one of his daggers from the sheath. On the blade sat very similar markings to the book. In fact, the only difference was the color of the symbols. Why? What does it mean? Once the blade was resheathed, he found that he couldn’t keep his breath controlled as it came out in ragged gasps. Taking a moment to collect himself, he resumed his task. Grabbing the book off the floor, he suddenly started flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for. Within the pages, there sat a small hidden cut out where a rock was placed. The rock was as smooth as a polished gemstone and the same color of the cover. Even the same markings were seen on the stone as on the front. This is what he went looking for, the ability to use magic was sitting right in front of him ready to be taken. Why was it hiding so easily? It's as if I was meant to find it... Disregarding the thought, he snatched the stone. A few seconds passed and nothing happened. He had expected to feel powerful or full of energy, but he felt the same as before he grabbed the stone. Not knowing what else to do, he went to put the rock back, only to find that the cut out had restored itself. Now the previously empty space was filled with completed pages marked with the ancient language. With no options left, Will put the stone in his purse and ran out of the room with the book as well. If this happened, the guards would be coming any time now he thought. Clearing the hallway at record speed, he then went for the entrance of the building so he could get to the passage and leave. Just as he was approaching the entrance, his body abruptly froze. No matter how hard he will his body to move, it wouldn’t budge. Carried by the momentum of the sprint, he fell forward onto his face. A few seconds later he was able to move and he began to get up. As he fully stood up, he froze once more, but from terror this time. In front of him stood a man of many talents, including teleportation, the ability to stop a target’s motion, and more. His shadow loomed large over Will, and he immediately knew who it was. This man is the king of Fruma.


This man was quite tall, standing at 6 foot 3 inches, well built, and had a powerfully commanding aura. His clothes were practical. A basic looking shirt and pants made of high quality materials. They didn’t obstruct his movement and he still looked impeccable. It was obvious that this was a man that didn’t care for looking fancy. In his hand was a thin wand. On his face, under his brown hair, sat a small grin that didn’t reach his eyes. A grin that that intimidated Will more than if he was angry. His voice was very deep. “I don’t know if you’ve got guts, or if you’re crazy, but you surely aren’t normal.”


After a moment, Will found some words to say. “What… is… it… to… you?” He asked with his voice shaking, unable to look the king in the eye.


The king let out a hearty chuckle, “What’s it to me? My boy, you’ve stolen something very important to me.”


Without realizing it himself, Will touched his purse and the king nodded. “I… don’t know… what you mean.”


The king’s cool exterior melted away. “Did you really think you could steal from me?!” He nearly shouted. Reflexively, Will took a step back. Midway through the movement, the king teleported in front of Will. He then grabbed the purse with the comet fragment and teleported a few feet away. The king took notice of how the young man’ face filled with rage. Rage so powerful that rationality was abandoned. Fueled by adrenaline and pure rage, he unsheathed his daggers, took a single step and began his “Flash Step.” At the same time, the king waved his wand and Will came to a stand still. The daggers were less than an inch from the king’s neck. Still, the King began to smile once more. This time the smile reached his eyes.


“Impressive, you do have guts.” He then took the stone from the purse and put the empty purse back on Will’s side. “Not only do you steal from the supreme power of the land, but then you also make a very valid assassination attempt on him.”


Once more, a few seconds passed and Will was able to move once more. “What are you going to do to me?”


The king thought for a second before he spoke. “There are two choices for this. You can either die right here and now, painfully, or you can become a relief soldier for our ally, the Wynn province. They are currently fighting an unfathomable war and they need as much help as possible. You would be sent in as a soldier, fighting wherever you’re needed. As an added bonus, if you choose to be a relief soldier, I’ll let you keep that book you also took.”


Will looked at the king with a blank face. “It sounds like there isn’t really any choice for me, either fight for another country or be tortured to death.”


“Ah, he’s also a sharp one,” said the king to mostly himself.


The silence hung in the air. The lack of sound became suffocating until Will said, “I choose the path of the soldier, when do I leave?”


“You’ve chosen well young Will, you’ll be leaving with 2 other relief soldiers on the next caravan out of the country. I’ll send someone to fetch you when it is time. Though I caution you to be ready by tomorrow.”


Something isn’t right. “Wait a moment. How do you know my name?”


“Simple... I knew your parents.” With that, the king pulled something out of his pocket and waved his wand once more. Before Will could ask anymore questions, the scenery changed from the inside of the castle to the middle of town. Muscles tensed, he looked around him. He was standing directly in front of his own house. A piece of paper was falling between him and the door. His body went slack as he realized what the paper was. He had seen a copy of that document only once before when the Blacksmith showed it to him.


His parents and another soldier were assigned to guard 3 merchants leaving the province of Fruma and traveling to the city of Ragni located in the Province of Wynn. It was a well traveled path with few risks. After embarking on their journey, the group eventually reached the Ragni Outskirts. All that was left was for them to travel over a ravine and through an abandoned mining town that runs inside a mountain. A rope bridge connects the two sides of the ravine. The group slowly moved across the bridge, and as the last person stepped off the bridge, the support ropes snapped and the bridge fell into the ravine. Although they were shaken up from the bridge’s collapse, they pressed on since going back home had become incredibly difficult. The nearest bridge was too far away. They soon reached the entrance to the abandoned town and the guards put on their armor.


That particular town is overrun by zombies. Although these zombies are weak, there were plenty of them to surround the small group. The details are sketchier from here on. The group was halfway through the mining town when a sudden rock slide separated Will’s parents and the merchants from the other guard. By the time the rear guard had managed to get over the rubble, Will’s parents were nowhere to be seen and one of the merchants was dead. The surviving guard was scared, but became horrified as he registered the entire scenario. The corpse of the merchant would soon be reanimated due to the mysterious sickness known as the “Corruption.”


As of now, no one knows how the “Corruption” came to be, but common knowledge is that if you become infected, there is no cure and you will turn into a zombie when it kills you. Most people become infected while they are dying due to a weakened body, and as a result, most of the dead become zombies. There was even talk about the corruption bringing back the dead. Feeling sick to his stomach, the guard sprinted faster and harder than he ever had before, stabbing at everything that came into reach until he made it out of the abandoned town. With ragged breathing, he then walked for what felt like an eternity until he came across the castle of Ragni. Soldiers stationed outside welcomed him anxiously after seeing his condition and barraged him with questions. He then met with the King of Ragni and gave him a full report on what happened. The King then sent a messenger pigeon back to Fruma with the story and an update that the guard will now be stationed at Castle Ragni. Inscribed at the bottom of the note was a post script that sent chills down Will’s spine and boiled his blood. The final words from the guard’s report were “I’m not sure, but I think I heard a small explosion before the rocks came down.”


Opening the door, he walked to his room and placed the book on the bed. As this action was completed, his stomach let out a small cry. Stress does make you hungry. The Tavern should still be open at this hour. With that thought, he once again left his house and made his way down the street. Eyes looking down but a bit ahead of him, he navigated the streets until he made it to the tavern. Approaching the doors, he extended his arms and pushed open the door.


The building was arranged the same as earlier, but now less people were at the tables. Night time was the best time for alcohol, and as such, the majority of people were sitting by or at the bar. Something was different though. The atmosphere seemed much lighter, more of the familiar joyous feeling but now there wasn’t any animosity. Two steps into the Tavern, and all of the adventurers turned their gazes to him.


“Is that him?” “Yeah, that’s the kid.” “Walking legend right there.” “I’ve known him for quite some time.”


The last voice he heard sparked his interest. Looking up, he saw more clearly that the voice came from the Blacksmith. The blacksmith locked eyes with Will, “I heard about what you did here earlier. Look, you can still see the hole and dried blood on the floor.”


Will broke eye contact took look where the incident had happened, “He took my mother’s purse.” He could indeed see what the Blacksmith had described.


“Is that your rationale?”


Will said nothing but slightly shuffled his feet. The Blacksmith stood up out of his chair and made his way to Will. A caring smile of warmth spread across his face. Without warning, Will was embraced in a massive bear hug.


“Will, I’m not here berate you. I’m here to express these people’s and my gratitude for what you’ve done.” The statement was greeted with numerous heads nodding and murmurs. “There was nothing wrong with it. That man had been systematically taking advantage of those weaker than him to get money for quite some time. Thank you Will.” The nodding and murmurs stopped, only to have the silence filled with clapping. Slowly and methodical at first, the clapping grew quickly into a standing ovation of sorts.


“You’re our hero Will.” “Let me buy you dinner one of these nights.” “We’re in your debt young man.”


“I.. I.. I.. don’t know what to say, you’re welcome?” He stammered.


The Blacksmith stopped the embrace and let out another of his hearty laughs. “You don’t need to say anything, but I certainly hope you’ll eat dinner with us.” He gestured towards a table in the middle of the room with some more approving faces.


The Blacksmith guided Will to the table, and the two of them took their seats. Will studied each person for a second or two. They were all lower level adventurers, most of which had been filled with fear earlier that day. However, now they only showed delightful gratitude. Did I help free them from their tormentor? The corners of his mouth moved ever so slightly.


“Oh ho? So Will can still smile after all,” said the Blacksmith cheerfully. “It's been exactly a year since I’ve seen this kid even attempt a smile.”


Will’s hands crept up to obscure his mouth. Directing his attention to Will, he explained “It’s a good thing too, don’t try to be ashamed about it. You did a good thing today, and you should be happy you’ve helped out these guys.”


Will’s eyes watered, “Thank you.”


“You’re welcome.” After a moment of silence, the Blacksmith added “What did you do today since this afternoon?”

Will’s expression darkened. “I got caught up in a scheme.”


“What kind of scheme are you talking about?” One of the adventurers asked.


“The kind that results in me becoming a relief soldier for the province of Wynn.”


“A very good non answer Will. Maybe you could actually answer him.” The Blacksmith added the last part with a smile to show that he had meant no harm.


“I attempted to steal something very important from the King.” This revelation was greeted with silent exasperation. Before anyone could comment, he continued. “The King then caught me in the act, and then I may have made an attempt on his life.”


The following silence was unbearably suffocating. After the initial shock of what Will had revealed, he expected to be reprimanded. “You did all that, and yet still able to tell us the story?” The Blacksmith then chuckled. “Well I’ll be damned. That’s mighty impressive. You took on the strongest man in our nation and lived. Is the relief soldier job punishment for that?”


“Yes it is. Today may be my last day in Fruma for a long time.”


“Then let’s have a toast for you.” The Blacksmith raised his glass. “To Will saving more people.”


“To Will.” The crowd repeated in unison while clinking their glasses together. Following the toast, Will heard the doors to the Tavern opening. Tracking the sound, he turned his head to see the tail end of an irregularly patterned cloak leaving the building. That’s odd.


A small meal and a few drinks later, it was time for Will to leave. “Good bye.” With those words, he quickly made his way out the door and darted home. The air outside was crisp and cool, as opposed to the warmth he had felt earlier from the sun. Silence surrounded him once more as he moved farther from the Tavern. Nothing to distract him from the reality of the predicament he managed to expose himself to. Relief soldier? That’s a broad title. What does that job actually require of me, and what will be my reward other than my life being spared? Will I die as a soldier? Pondering the questions within his mind, he didn’t notice how quickly he had made his way home. A quiet footstep from behind made Will turn around, and yet he saw nothing once more. He hurriedly swung the door open, rushed inside, and made his way to his room. He took off his gear, laid them out cleanly, and crawled into bed. Not even a minute later, he was completely unconscious.


The morning rays of the sun shone brightly through the cracks of the house directly onto Will’s face. Just as he started opening his eyes, he heard a loud banging coming from his front door. The King wasn’t lying, It’s time to go. Will rapidly donned his clothing and cloak with his sheath and dagger and his empty purse. In the time he noticed that it had no money in it, the banging got louder and louder. Down the stairs he went and opened the door. On the other side stood the Blacksmith, a sad smile on his face. No words were exchanged, but Will was placed into another bear hug before the Blacksmith motioned behind him. In the middle of the street stood a covered caravan. It wasn’t too large but it would certainly be able to transport a few people. The caravan driver pointed him to the back of the transport. May the journey begin. With that thought, he brushed the cloth curtain away and stepped inside.

 

I read it btw.

I liked it and as a keen writer myself, I can see you have potential. However, try experimenting with description, as I felt that this was the weak point whereas the dialogue was good (opposite of me).

 

Thank you for the advice and for taking the time to read it. Could you explain a bit more about description? Like description of what?

 

The description of Ragni and the King of Fruma were a bit oddly specific. For example, you don't need to say that the King was 6 foot 3. I love details in description, but it can get over the top sometimes.

 

Oh, thank you chief. I’ll work on it again after I finish chapter 1

 

I quite like it, although one small critique (for your help not to put you down at all) is that you don't have to start a new paragraph whenever someone else speaks, a new line will do just fine! I also find your grammar very good and some of the description is great! Like:

"She emerged just a few moments with the steak and potatoes still steaming, and went back to the bar. The man handed her a glass bottle filled to the top with red liquid."

and

"Both blades were a dark black with deep purple characters from an ancient language yet they were completely dulled."