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hebimatsu · 7 years

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Grimoire Mythos: Hel's Legion

By Philip Rhodes Prologue I began my journey not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t adventure because my heart yearned for places unseen, nor did I do it in the hopes of finding riches. I traveled because I was scared to go to war. A war had cropped up to the far east between my home country, Cerph, and our neighboring country, Resh. Most people on the far western side where I was living knew we had gone to war, but no one knew why. Some people didn’t even know we were at war. When Cerph’s recruiters came to draft people everyone had felt one of two ways. Either they were patriotic and welcomed the opportunity to fight and prove themselves, or they were scared about going off to war and dying. My fear mixed with my reasoning and with no reason as to why I should fight I left before they had began to round up the men. Having been relatively new to where I was living no one knew me well enough to tell the guards where I could be found. That being said I left anything that would slow my travel. With only a sword, a knife, and the clothes on my back I left. Having no money meant I had to rely on trade and my own skills to survive. Having traveled to many different places I learned simple things like hunting and gathering. My skills as a hunter weren’t all that good, but my skills with a sword were much better. If I happened across anyone who was picking men up for the draft I could always lie and say I’m mercenary working for an arms dealer. It wasn’t long after I thought that that I had came across a lone soldier who was out looking for people. Noticing me from a good distance away he called out to me saying, “You there with the black hair and cloak, stop.” Putting my hands up I turned toward the soldier who had stopped me. The soldier began to walk closer to me, torch in hand. The way the torch shone off his helmet hid the face underneath. Only pale skin could be seen here and there on places like his fingers and neck. He seemed more like a skeleton than a man. “Are you from the small village around here? Some of the villagers are saying that they’re missing someone,” He said. “No, I’m not,” I lied. “Ah, you know we’re at war right?” “Yes, I do.” “Did you know that almost all men are being drafted, correct?” His tone had become deeper and more serious as he spoke. “Yes, I did.” “Then I take it you also know that deserters are killed on the spot,” He spat as the word deserters slid past his lips almost as if he had eaten a piece of rotted meat. “Are you saying I’m a deserter,” I asked trying to keep calm. I already knew the answer, and he was right, not that I would readily admit it to him. “Well, a man with no belonging traveling in almost the dead of night alone in a cloak, looking like a robber,” He said. I couldn't blame him but at the same time I didn't like how he made me sound. Though, if I were in his position I would probably think the same. Trying to prevent the fight I decided to lie, telling him, “I’m not a coward, I’m a mercenary in the employment of an arms merchant to scout out the area ahead so that he may pass through without trouble.” “I see, and where is this merchant you speak of?” “He’s away that way,” I said pointing my thumb back behind me. “Is that so, I haven’t heard of any merchants passing through these areas lately.” He was getting closer to finding me out. Closer to knowing I was a coward who ran from a war he knew nothing about. I didn’t know how to move forward from here and now I couldn’t move back. I should have stayed and accepted my fate, but I didn’t want it. At that moment something intervened. It was sound of wagon wheels, a hoarse cough, and a loud yawn that had began an intervention. A signal that fate was on my side. The cart had crept up beside me and and stopped with the driver at my side. The driver was a man, bigger than most his body covered in nice clothes which included furs. His was was and shoulder were broad. His eyes were big and brown and his nose was blocky. The chin he has is covered in a short brown beard a mustache with some grey peaking through. He seemed to carry a weight as he spoke to the guard front of me. “Who are you,” the guard asked. “An arms merchant,” He proclaimed, “I came to see how my wares do in this land.” “Oh, so you must be the person who hired this man,” The guard said pointing a finger that looked little more like bone at me. The man on the cart eyed me for a moment and looked at the guard saying, “Yeah, he’s with me from the southern lands. I say, why did you stop him? We are now behind schedule because of this.” I didn’t say anything, just stood there with my hands up. If this stranger was willing to bail me out, I would let him. I noticed the guard put the bones of his hand against the void black are where I’d imagined skull to be before saying, “Very well he may go, but do be careful,” he said with a chuckle, “Don’t want him to be confused with a traitor.” He skulked off into the night from whence he came. Once the guard was a good distance away the merchant began to speak to me, “Boy, I say, hope on this cart with that,that character never draws near again.” I did as he said and climbed aboard sword undone from my hip and the boards creaking under my weight. Once I was seated and the cart was moving I turned to the man, “Thank you, but I think there is something you should know.” He let out a chuckle and said, “I think I know what it is you’re going to tell me, so do me a favor and keep it to yourself.” Thrown off guard by his reply I said, “Very well,” then asked, “How may I repay you mister…” He let out another laugh the light from the lantern catching his rosy complexion as he said, “Mister, ha-ha-ha, call me Maximus and Maximus alone. As for how you can repay me,” he trailed off for a moment then jumped slightly with a bigger smile than before and continued, “Keep me company and keep me safe until we reach the town over, Esouh, I believe it is called. It’s about two days from around here if I’m to trust others. I say, boy, what’s your name?” “Umbra Aeternam, and,” I inhaled and tried to mimic his accent, “Boy, it looks like I’ll be working with you for a little while.” Maximus seemed to enjoy what I did because his laughter shook the cart and made the horses neigh. “I say,” He said, “You seem familiar with the area, know anywhere safe for the night?” Sadly I didn’t know of a physical lodging with people, but I knew of a place just a little ways of, on the outside of the forest. I guided him to an area where there was a large stone that seemed to glow faintly under the moonlight. In the back of his cart, on one end, was a few blankets and a small pile of hay, and on the was weapons. “I say, boy,” He said again, “How’s this stone glow?” “I have no idea,” I responded. “You think jewelry or weapons could be made from it?” “I think I saw a sword made of it one time, but it was rather weak. It snapped at the hilt after a few strikes. Maybe if you sold it a decorative pieces.” “You have any knowledge on how hard the stuff is to mine up?” “None,” I said as I grabbed a blanket and threw off my cloak. “I say again, the thing I’ve said many a time to myself quietly,” he began, “Boy, you are just full of surprises.” “What do you mean?” “Your hair, I do say, it’s darker than the caves in the southern countries where the goblins hide.” “It is really that odd,” I asked, but I already knew the answer. My hair was abnormally dark almost as if a shadow had been born there. “I say, I say, Umbra,” he stammered, “Do you have any family?” “Not that I know of.” “What do you mean,” Maximus asked as he sat in the front of the cart looking around at the stone we were on. “When I was little my parents died, then a friend of the family took me in and raised me along with their children. About six years ago, when the cough was going around and people were getting covered in spots, my other parents died and the two kids I was being brought up with left to go somewhere far off to the north with their relatives,” I explained. “I see then we’re a bit alike,” Maximus let out a chuckle to try and lighten the mood. “About four months ago, when the war had just started my older brother, smart and strong as he was, thought it would be an honor to go and fight in the war. About two months after he left my family, rather my mother and I, received a letter that he had died in battle. My mother, old and bedridden, died from grief. Unable to pay the inheritance and property tax, I loaded all I could on my wagon and here I am.” His long winded story left a little at a loss as to what to talk about, so I asked him, “Do you know what the war is about?” “Sadly, much to my own discretion, I’ve been avoiding it as if it were a plague.” “Alright,” I said, “What time are we leaving tomorrow?” “As soon as we wake up and are ready.” “I thought you said you were behind schedule,” I asked. “I may not have been honest with that guard earlier,” He said facing me with a grin.” * * * The next morning, or what I assumed was morning was greeted with the creaking of wagon wheel and the clop of the horse’s hooves on the ground. I sat up, stretched and looked at Maximus who was sitting right where I left him. In the back of the wagon there was a new addition to what had been there last night, a chunk of the stone we had been on. Maximus must have heard me moving be cause cast a glance sideways at me and let out a bellowing laugh, “Ah, boy, finally awake. I was wonder if you may have gone and died on me last night.” I copied his accent and responded say, “Boy, you hadn’t moved since I last saw you.” Maximus responded with a laugh that shook the cart again and said, “You sure you want to be a mercenary and not a bard?” “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ve been using a sword a lot longer than I’ve been entertaining.” “That so, umbra?” “Yeah, when I was younger and being brought up with the others their father taught how to use weapons.” “Where were you raised, out in the wilderness,” Maximus let out a chuckle. “Well yeah, I mean I remember there only being a few people where I was raised. There were more monsters than anything in that area.” “Oh boy,” he said, “I wonder how you all survived.” “Yeah, I wonder too sometimes,” I responded laughing along.” “I wonder, these kids you were brought up with. What are their names?” That was a good question, over the years I had traveled I was never afforded the luxury of thinking about the past. I was sure I knew them, but I just couldn’t remember so I told Maximus, “I can’t seem to remember them right now. If I remember I’ll tell you.” We passed the day like this going back and forth telling stories and asking questions. The moon was about to the middle of the sky when we stopped. Maximus turned to face me his face as rosy and smiley as it ever was and he asked me, “Boy can I get you to hop off the cart real quick and look around for and sign of wolves?” “Sure thing, boy,” I said mimicking him, to which he roared laughing. We had moved from near the forest to some plains and on the other side of the wide set of plains was another forest. Peering off into the distance I could make out what seemed to be a dried up riverbed with some huge boulder that seemed to run into the forest. Though I saw all of this I didn’t see anything on all sides. Finishing what I was asked to do I returned to the cart. Climbing into the back of the cart I saw Maximus had Pulled out some bread and a water skin along with two cups. “How’d it go?” “Good, from what I saw there is no sign of wolves around.” “That great,” He said with a chuckle throwing a cup my direction, “Looks like I have a drinking buddy this time.” “This is why you had me get off the cart?” “Well seeing as how you’re going to be traveling with me for a little while, I can’t go having you know where my hidden booze is,” He chuckled and began to pour a dark red liquid into his cup than in mine. “I was thinking we ought to celebrate,” he said. “What are we celebrating?” “Our freedom,” He declared his voice booming and face growing redder. He still kept the same broad smile on his face as he always had. I nodded and raised my glass and maximus doing the same we said, ““To freedom!”” After we had drank some wine and had some bread Maximus began telling me a story with his catchall phrase, “I say, boy, have you ever heard of a merchant’s story about a man whose horse turned into a woman?” “No, I haven’t. Though, from the sounds of it he must have had a good amount of stuff to drink.” “I personally think the same,” he said laughing. “However, I came across a rather peculiar story of a man named,” He paused, before saying, “Ehhh, the name’s not important. Anyways he was off to trade one day and he traded some grain with a heretical village and later that night he found, much to his dismay or fortune, a wise wolf in the bed of his cart. I must say this though as to not confuse you, a wise wolf is a lot like a werewolf, though I’ve never met one.” “Hmmmm, still sounds like he may have had too much to drink.” “I’d like to think so, but I do have to say and it does seem like an enjoyable story even if it sounds just a bit fake.” Are you sure it’s just a bit? I thought this but didn’t say it. Instead I asked, “What about it do you like?” Maximus grew quiet for a minute ponder his response as he ripped a piece of bread apart. After taking a drink of his wine he said, “Well you see a traveling merchants life is rather lonely,” He began, “Most can only dream of having a shop in a town or of having a family or partner to travel with. I suppose,” He said getting to the heart of the answer, “I suppose it’s hope that my journeys go so well no one will ever believe it.” “I see,” I replied noticing for the first time he was being serious as he didn’t let out a laugh that shook the cart, or stirred the horses to neigh, nor even a chuckle. “Say, Umbra, if you ever become big and famous will you tell people about this journey? About the ‘boy’ Maximus and the laughs you shared?” “I don’t see why I wouldn’t, though I’ll have to leave out the part about how we met,” I said letting out a laugh in his place. “Thank you kindly. By the way, we can travel at our own pace tomorrow, we got further ahead than I could have even begun to imagine,” He said with a smile and mouthful of bread that made his cheeks look as big as roses in bloom.” “You don’t say,” I said climbing into the front of the wagon and taking one last look at the stars in the sky before I went to sleep. I wish for something good to happen tomorrow. Prologue End If you like what you read please share it. I would really appreciate it. I would also like feed back if possible. Thank you for reading.

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