by Eden Redd
The gray skies began to darken. Sonja increased her pace and walked to Jayson’s side.
“We should set up camp soon,” The blue knight said simply.
Jayson nodded and was about to give the signal to set up camp when a plume of smoke caught his attention. The knight pointed with his chin and Sonja turned in that direction. There were actually several plumes of smoke and the blue knight could just make out the pointed top of a building.
“It might be a town,” Jayson said in a low tone.
“Or a war camp,” Sonja added.
“We should check it out anyway. We might be able to sleep on actual beds and get some supplies.”
The knight whistled and pointed in the direction of the plumes of smoke. The party nodded and they all moved as one force further down the road. Jayson stared at the smoke until the trees began to part. Several pointed roof tops shined like beacons to the party. The knight checked the time in the corner of his vision. It was late afternoon and they still had plenty of time before evening was on them.
After ten minutes of walking, a populated area did spring up into view. It was separated by the road with the north and south side of it giving way to a modest town. Several homes ran along the road’s edge, with a few large buildings toward the middle. People moved along the road but stopped and stared at Jayson’s party as they walked along. Some ran into buildings while others simply stood and watched. The first thing Jayson noticed was that they were all human.
From a larger building, a man stepped out with two people that had darted into the same building. He made a beeline straight for the incoming group as they just entered the town’s border. The man was fit and carried a sword at his hip. He had long brown hair tied back and a cautious smile on his lips. The party stopped as the man strode up to the Jayson and Sonja.
“Greeting adventurers, how can I assist you today?” The man said with his hand close to the pommel of his blade.
Jayson showed his hands as he spoke, “We are just passing through and were hoping you might have lodgings to accommodate our party?”
The man looked Jayson up and down before eyeing the group behind him, “We may. My name is Isaac Runefield. I’m the mayor of Dark Hearth. We do have an inn but it is small. Your party may have to share rooms if you come in peace.”
Jayson gave a genuine smile, “We do come in peace. Our party was attacked by a monster about a day from here during the night. We would like to know we can sleep somewhere safe.”
Isaac’s eyes narrowed, “As long as you come in peace, you can stay in our town but tell me, what monster attacked you?”
Jayson described the pale four-legged monster with tentacles coming out of its shoulders. Isaac listened intently and waited for the knight to finish.
“The thing that attacked you was a Wither Beast. Foul creatures that prowl the forests. They tend to avoid the road. Their white wrinkled skin makes them noticeable that is why they prowl the shadows of the forest.”
Jayson glanced at the town around him, “How do you stay safe from those monsters?”
Isaac turned and pointed between two houses along the road. Behind them in the forest were dozens of black leafless trees. The same ones they noticed earlier when they entered the forest.
“Those are Reaper Trees. Carnivorous plants with a taste for blood, bone and meat. The wither beasts tend to avoid them, especially if they grow in clumps. They aid in our defense from the forest so we only have to defend the east and west of town.”
“Sounds prudent,” Jayson said as he looked to the mayor. “I didn’t know any humans were out this far to the west.”
The mayor nodded and watched as Thorrin and Lyra step closer, “Our ancestors made the journey here. We are seventh generation but managed to be the last town before reaching the Cursed Coast. I’m sure there is much you want to know but I must ask your companions behind you if they are clerics?”
“I’m a paladin,” Thorrin said as Lyra silently nodded next to him.
“Then perhaps we can aid one another. Some of my people have contracted a sickness and would require special healing. We have no church or clerics and we could use your healing powers.”
“Please lead us to them and we can see if we can help,” Thorrin said with kind eyes.
A woman by Isaac’s side nodded, turned and led the way. Thorrin and Lyra followed, the paladin giving Jayson one quick look before continuing.
“The rest of you, come with me. We can see about getting food and ale in your bellies.”
Isaac led the way down the road about forty feet before stepping to a large nondescript wooden home. Stepping through the main doors, Jayson could see that it was simply a house made into an inn. The main room had several small tables, a small bar and a staircase leading up to the second floor. Townspeople moved with the crowd and split off to don aprons. Some went into the back while others went upstairs. A thin woman stepped out with a tray filled with wooden cups, each sloshing around with amber liquid.
Hands reached up and took a cup, thanking the woman. Jayson took his and took a sip. The ale was refreshing. Vass and Kai moved to the bar and asked if they could aid with serving drinks and food. Another woman nodded and began giving them orders. The elf and troll followed along. Renner moved to a seat and sat down, putting his booted feet on the table. Rekt sat next to him. The concubines moved about, taking a seat or standing. The necromancer moved to the back of the main room and sat by herself.
“You don’t have a gate at the east and west of town. How do you defend yourselves?” Jayson asked.
“We put large torches at each side of town. The fire will keep most creatures at bay. You used the word ‘safe’ before. I must address it. Although we have been here for generations, we are not always safe. We have come across many threats over the time since the town was founded. Lord Thorne has come to our aid many times when a threat grew bigger than our meager defenses.”
“Lord Thorne?” Jayson asked with curious eyes.
Isaac nodded and gulped down some ale, “He is the lord of this land. He controls from the edge of the forest to the city ruins of Nekross. His castle is to the west, south side of the road.”
Jayson remembered seeing a small drawing of what looked like a city before the mountain range, “Is Nekross right before the mountain range?”
Isaac nodded, “It is a dangerous place where the dead walk among ancient ruins. If you are journeying in that direction, the only way to reach the Cursed Coast is to pass through the ruins and follow a thin pass between the mountains. I would recommend if you must go, to circle and climb the mountains. It will add two weeks to your journey but you will still have your lives.”
Lance moved in and stood to Jayson’s side. Sonja stood off, drinking her ale and eyeing the people as they worked. There was a certain hollow look in their eyes, like they had seen more than they ever bargained for.
The mayor continued, “I would recommend you pay your respects to Lord Thorne before continuing on your journey, if you must continue. He may be able to assist you with wisdom and knowledge.”
Jayson nodded, “We cannot thank you enough for taking us in and the valuable information.”
Isaac’s brow hardened, “I don’t tell you this out of the kindness of my own heart. It is a fair trade for your paladin and cleric to help my people. The lands around here are death incarnate. You are not the first band of adventurers to pass through and you won’t be the last. I warn you like I warn everyone that passes through, turn back now and never come back.”
Jayson eyed the mayor and bowed his head, “I meant no disrespect.”
The mayor’s brow stayed hard, “None taken. Kindness will get you killed out here and I rather not see people walking to their slaughter. Stay the night if you are going west. Stay longer if you want to gather your strength to return whence you came.”
The mayor finished his drink and set down his cup. Without further word, he turned and walked out the front door. Jayson stood with cup in
hand. Lance and Sonja moved in closer.
“Anyone else getting a bad feeling?” Lance smirked.
“Should we take time to meet this Lord Thorne? It will slow us down if we have to pay our respects?” Sonja said and guzzled down her ale.
“I don’t think we have much of a choice. He might be able to help us find another way to the coast. Climbing mountains wasn’t exactly part of the plan,” Jayson said and took a sip.
A shadow touched the three knights. They turned to see Renner step closer and lean against the small bar. He put his hand out and the thin barmaid pressed a fresh cup of ale to his hand. The rogue shifted on his feet to face the trio of knights.
“I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation. It seems that if it is this bad for a town in the middle of nowhere, maybe we should head out to this Lord Thorne’s castle now. It might be safer than staying here,” Renner said and gulped down more ale.
“Evening is coming. We can’t risk travelling in the dark and there is no guarantee he will take us in. The safer bet would be for us to go in the morning,” Jayson said.
Renner nodded, “Normally I would agree but something tells me that this place isn’t right.”
“What makes you say that?” Lance asked.
Renner grinned as a golden fairy appeared by his head and sat on his shoulder, “Call it lucky intuition. This is Gylda, a luck fairy. Gylda this is everyone.”
***
Thorrin and Lyra stepped into a small house. The paladin and cleric drank in the beds clustered in the main room, all of them filled with pale townsfolk. Around them, several women attended to them with cups of water and spoons of honey. The people laying in the beds had faraway stares and blank faces.
Instinct took over as the paladin and cleric stepped over to separate beds. Thorrin placed his glowing hand on a pale woman. She took a sharp intake of breath before her eyes fluttered and she fell fast asleep. Thorrin glanced up to see Lyra healing with one hand and holding her other hand over the sick person. The cleric’s eyes stared off as the person let out a strangled moan before falling asleep to her healing touch. Thorrin moved to another person and laid his hands on them.
The paladin and cleric healed everyone in the room and soon they were all sleeping, relief washing over their caretakers.
Thorrin stepped to one of the caretakers, “What happened to them?”
The woman with darkness under her eyes simply shrugged, “They woke up like this, one every night for the last six nights.”
“No cause or strange occurrences?”
The woman looked away, “No, nothing.”
Thorrin eyed her for a moment before Lyra curled her arm around his.
“We should return to the others and rest for the evening,” the cleric said almost robotically.
Thorrin nodded and then said their goodbyes to the caretakers. Once outside, Lyra’s blank demeanor melted into concern. The cleric leaned in, putting her head on the paladin’s shoulder while holding him close.
“They weren’t sick. They were drained,” The cleric said in a hushed tone.
“They had no marks on their bodies and the people didn’t seem like they wanted to talk about it,” Thorrin added.
Lyra squeezed his arm, “We should leave. If something is draining townsfolk, then there is a chance it or they will come for us.”
Thorrin’s brow creased, “Then shouldn’t we stay and help them?”
Lyra’s eyes looked off as they walked, “We can’t help them. I had visions of this very town burning. We should leave if we want to survive.”
Thorrin gazed ahead, “Your visions are not one hundred percent. Maybe we can change the outcome?”
“When I was at the monastery, I prayed for our future. I saw this town among several visions. It will burn and I saw you….” The cleric trailed off.
“Lyra, are you sure?”
The cleric nodded silently and said no more. Together the paladin and cleric strolled to the inn as the sky grew darker with the approaching evening.
***
Sonja smiled at Gylda, “I’ve never heard of a luck fairy. She’s cute.”
Gylda zipped up and pressed her tiny hands to Sonja’s cheeks, “And you’re beautiful!”
Jayson smiled, then he turned his attention to Renner and his smile dimmed, “The whole west side of Lukken doesn’t feel right. We are safer here then travelling in the dark. We don’t know how many wither beasts are out there.”
“Jayson, can’t you see that the people here are barely being polite? They don’t want us here. If Thorrin and Lyra weren’t with us, they would have sent us on our way. Maybe we should take the hint and keep going.”
Jayson put his empty cup on the counter, “Perhaps your right, but we should see if everyone is onboard with travelling through the night. Let’s wait till Thorrin and Lyra return and then we can all discuss it.”
Renner eyed the knight before nodding. The rogue drank the last ale in his cup and put it on the counter before walking to a nearby table. Gylda fluttered before Sonja, giving her a kiss on the cheek and fluttering back to Renner’s side.
Jayson turned to the bar, mind working out what to do next. A full cup of ale was pressed to his and another hand grabbed his wrist. The knight looked up into the thin woman’s eyes as her hand held him in a vice like grip. The woman’s eyes were wide and her irises changed from brown to a light pink.
“Run. They’re coming,” The woman said in a harsh whisper.
***
The sun was setting behind the darkened, cloudy sky. Several men carried two thick wooden poles with bulbs on the end. Two men carried buckets and poured dark liquid over the bulbous ends. They all reached the eastern edge of town and the men carrying buckets put them down and pulled out stone and flint from their pockets. The other men waited patiently as the two men struck the flint against stone, sending sparks.
The sky turned a deep dark gray just as one of the massive torches was lit. The men braced themselves as they slipped the end into a hole in the ground and prepared too heave it up to standing position. With their attention on their work, they didn’t see the two large white creatures slink from the forest edge.
Another man was having a difficult time lighting the other one when a sickening “Crunch” filled the area. Lifting his eyes up, his mouth hung open as one of the men was stabbed through the chest and lifted into the air by a white tentacle. Screams and shouts filled the area as the sun sank below the horizon and cold night descended across the lands.
Thirteen
Thorrin and Lyra had just stepped into the inn when screams chilled the air. Jayson tore his arm away from the woman, the pink in her eyes fading away. Everyone in the inn burst from their seats, knocking over chairs. Barely able to process what was happening, duty took over as the party rushed the entrance.
Thorrin and Lyra were already backing out the door. Players rushed the entrance and spilled out into the street. Night had fallen but lanterns were lit. Looking to the east side of town, eyes watched in horror as townsfolk were swung about in the air before thrown into the forests. Two pale monsters were at the main entrance of town. Teeth dripped wet as black eyes stared with demonic malice. White tentacles whipped about as stinger like ends stabbed into anything that moved. Town’s folk shattered into greenish light as sharp points punctured their bodies.
People were running toward them, terror filling their eyes as they tried to get away from the beasts. Thorrin and Lyra were already barreling toward the creatures. Jayson broke from the stunned silence and burst into action. Sonja and Lance were close behind. Chaos bloomed as the wither beasts killed the last of the townsfolk close to them and began stalking further into town.
With hammer in hand, Thorrin’s brow was wrinkled into determination as he cast Holy Protection on himself and Blessing on his hammer. Lyra had her mace in hand, a golden aura surrounding her body. An arrow flew overhead of the paladin and cleric, followed by another and another. The paladin glanced back to s
ee the troll, Kai, releasing arrow after arrow.
The beasts growled as they moved in, arrows sinking into their wrinkled white flesh. Arrow points under foul skin burst into light but were quickly snuffed out, scorch marks appearing but seeming to have little effect on the monsters. Tentacles reared up as the paladin launched himself at one of the beasts. Hammer swinging down, a tentacle lashed out, striking the paladin across the waist and sending him spinning to the ground. Lyra reached one of the creature’s legs and brought her mace hard across. Light burst and the creature pulled back its leg in howling pain. It brought the same leg forward, trying to stamp out the cleric. Lyra spun aside as the creature’s monstrous paw slammed onto the dirt street, sending plumes of dust.
“Pull back!” Jayson shouted as he nearly to them.
Lyra ignored him, spinning her body and slamming her mace into the creature’s leg again. It growled its contempt as tentacles rained down. One tentacle slammed against the cleric’s holy shield but another came sideways. The one two strikes made the cleric fall to one knee with a grunt as the tentacle coming at her side sent her sprawling into the ground.
Thorrin was back to his feet and running full tilt toward the monsters. Hammer in hand; he darted toward a creature’s leg. Black eyes turned to him as tentacles slipped low. The paladin dove to the ground as hooked tentacles came in low from the side. The paladin pushed his arms and legs against the ground after the tentacles cleared over him. Keeping his focus, he rushed the monster’s leg when the tentacles came down low again. Thorrin leapt over one but the second one flashed at his legs. Thorrin spun through the air and landed on his back with a thud.
Thorrin could see that the creature was being extra careful with him, as if it was anticipating his attacks. Jayson, Sonja and Lance were to them, pushing their backs to each other with swords drawn while Thorrin and Lyra struggled to stay alive.
