#haledin

[heroofmorderan-blog]

The Four Swords, Chapter 1: The Beginning

What follows is the first entry of the Hero of Morderan story. If you liked it, let me know, and follow me to stay up to date with each new installment of the story, which will most likely come on the 1st and 15th of each month. You can also find the story published on AO3 at HeroOfMorderan, and follow me on twitter @heroofmorderan so you don’t miss any of the exciting news!  Enjoy!

I’m sorry I haven’t written in a while, things have been slow. You know how it is- nothing too exciting happens around here worth telling. I’ve been trying, though, asking if there’s anything in the city that needs guarding, but I guess they have more experienced guards do that stuff. I can’t blame them either; I’m more of the bow and arrow type. Maybe one day there’ll be some pesky crows over the castle I can take care of! I could use more challenging target practice.

 I’m writing now though, because King Boridas gave me a mission! Like a real, “Haledine, and all of Morderan, will remember your name and your services under the crown.” mission! It’ll be great, this is exactly what I need! And who knows, maybe King Boridas will even put me in his court! Even if he doesn’t, it’ll be a great story. I’m going to write it all down for you to read. You’ll have the best story ever.

 So here’s what I have to do: there was a transport caravan that was attacked by some goblins. Apparently, they stole the Necklace of the Land while it was headed up north to get a gem added in Talen and they ran off not too far from the North Road. My plan is to break in, take out some gobs if I have to, grab the necklace, and split in record time! It’ll be just like when my friends and I would pretend to clear a goblin dungeon.

 You weren’t around then, but you would have loved it. After work or training, we’d go into the forest and set up these huge situations where we have to save villagers or capture a powerful weapon. Maya thought we were crazy. Well, you know that story. This one is going to be even better, get ready. I leave first thing tomorrow.

 Well, I’ve been travelling all day. Judging by my map, I’d say I’m about half way there. Nothing much happened today. When I woke up, I made myself some breakfast. I decided to treat myself since it was a special day and made my favorite. After my hearty breakfast, I took one last look around the house to make sure I didn’t forget to pack anything last night. I shouldn’t be gone for long, so I didn’t bring much, but you never know, or maybe you do? Then I said goodbye, and was off.

 I walked for a few hours, with the occasional rest, when I thought I heard something off in the grass beside the road. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I was trained in this and knew what to do. I prepared for the worst, which I figured was some animal looking for dinner. If the thing, or things, decided to track me, it may not have decided if it wanted to attack me yet. Maybe it’ll think I’m too strong for it and move on. So I played it cool and kept walking. I’m not stupid, though, I had one hand on my bow and another slowly moving towards my quiver the whole time. Whatever was following me stayed low and silent, but I saw the grass move ever so slightly.

 This is the part of the story where you should imagine exciting battle music fit for a warrior, because it, or rather they, must have thought I was someone they could take. The grass stopped moving, and a pair of lions leapt high into the air. They were ferocious, I never saw something so powerful in person before. You would have loved one as a pet, their coats shimmered against the sun in a way I’ve never seen. Each one was at least twice my size, but like I said, I was ready. I had two arrows loaded, and swung around- PEW- letting both loose, flying into the shoulder of the first lion.

 With the first lion hurt, the second charged towards me. Its speed was amazing, and no sooner did I let go of my bow to grab my swords it was clawing at my chest. Each paw was the size of my head, and one glanced my side when I jumped back to evade the other. Maybe we surprised each other, because instead of pushing to attach, the lions regrouped and circled me. Sword in each hand, each hand extended keeping the lions at a distance, we held a standoff.

 In coordinated perfection, right before they were on either side of me, they leapt again, bounding towards me. Their roars still ring in my ears! I spun and slashed down at the lions. The arrows I shot into the first must have gone deep, because it wasn’t as fast as the other, and I landed a clean cut across his face. The second, though, was on top of me before I could gaze into its wide jaws. The force of his attack knocked us both into the grass, his paws on my chest and his teeth in my shoulder, piercing my leather.

My bedroll broke my fall, and in our struggle, I turned my sword into the beast’s side. I pushed harder and reached across with my other hand to push harder still. I forced the lion off me and he stumbled into the grass. I rolled over, bracing myself for an attack from the first lion that never came. Turning, I saw the legs of my adversary disappear into the grass. I’m grateful that they found me a challenging hunt and ran to look for easier prey. I don’t know if I would have survived if I hadn’t attacked as soon as I did.

 Weary, I lifted myself to my feet, uncertain of whose blood now covered my front. You bet I wasn’t tired enough to raise my arms and give a cheer between heavy breaths, though. I’ll be telling that story to everyone for the rest of my life.

 I rested there long enough to clean myself and collect my things before continuing down the road. I’m tired now, but the excitement of fighting is still pulsing through me. I dare those goblins to give me their worst, because I can best two lions.

And that brings me to now, which is to say, watching some camp off in the distance. I’ve been hiding out to see what’s going on, and it looks like a small goblin camp. They’re hard to hear over the sounds of the night, and goblin isn’t an easy language to make out to begin with, but I’ve deciphered a few things.

 It sounds like they got a big kill and are eating now. There’s some debate over how much, if any, of whatever they caught should be taken back to the others. I wonder if they’re the same goblins who took the necklace. There are only three by the fire, and they’re pretty small, so the rest must be at their base.

 That wasn’t too bad. After those lions, some goblins are a piece of cake. I snuck up on their camp until I had a good view, then planned my attack. At that point, I was feeling pretty confident, so I thought I’d try something fancy. I shot an arrow into whatever was roasting over their fire to get their attention, then ran full speed towards them! I had tied a length of rope to the end of my dagger and was swinging it over my head as I charged. I planned on taking them out in one swift motion. Before I go on, I’d like to remind you that I’m very good with a bow. I didn’t completely consider the length of the rope and dagger, so when I swung it towards the goblin closest to me, I completely missed and got stuck in the dirt.

 Well, then I had three goblins there, one had a crossbow aimed at me, the other was swinging a mace at my face, and a third held a flail above his head. I’m not sure, but I think he was taunting me, so I killed him first. I saw the metal ball reflect the burning fire and struck my swords low into his stomach. He grunted violently and fell over onto me, bringing the flail down on my back. That knocked the wind out of me, but I had no time to rest, because the other two goblins were coordinating their attack. I lifted the goblin up over my head and pivoted my back towards the goblin with the crossbow. As the dead goblin fell off my swords behind me, I heard a small thud of an arrow driving itself into his back.

 Now I just had a mace and crossbow to deal with. The crossbow had to be reloaded, and the mace had just made contact with my side, so I decided to address that first. We exchanged glancing blows, his mace catching the edge of my sword, and me dancing around the swings of his weapon. I had to keep moving to dodge the bolts of a crossbow flying around me. Sure, getting hit doesn’t tickle, but this fight was kind of fun. I couldn’t hide a smile.

 He wouldn’t keep trying to shoot me for long, so I made quick work of the mace wielder before I got teamed up on. At last I saw my opportunity. A weak swing sent the mace falling to the ground. Spinning to his exposed side, I hooked him with the handle of my sword and sent the other sword deep into the shoulder of his dominant side. He howled a guttural cry before falling to the ground.

 I had almost forgotten about the final goblin before he reminded me with a powerful blow of his fallen ally’s flail. My knees buckled, and I weakly slashed at my attacker’s feet. There’s no way I was letting some gobs best me. One of my swords was still buried into the shoulder of the previous goblin, so I used my free hand to tumble under a swinging strike and struck the goblin’s back as I lifted myself up. It wasn’t a strong hit- if anything I think it made him mad, and he swung around to continue our battle.

 He was small, so I decided to charge him in hopes of overpower him with sheer mass alone. Deflecting his flail with my sword, I tacked him to the ground, pinning his arms with my knees. My eyes were blurry, but the fire illuminated the face of the creature just enough to know where to punch. His grotesque face turned and let out soft grunts as my fists pummeled his bruised and deformed eyes and mouth. I felt his struggles beneath me weaken slightly, and I knew I had bested him. Better, he knew he had lost.

 Goblins are gross. They’re monsters who have done no good for this kingdom. I mean, they fought with Galithan during the Great War, and I thought I would have wanted to take out all my rage on this goblin under me. He had given up. If I wanted to, I could have wailed on him. I didn’t, though. Even in the dark, I could see it. His eyes, locked on mine. They were empty, and not the soulless evil empty they always have. This was different. This Goblin had a life, a history. Heck, he may have had a family. Staring down at him I saw him saying goodbye to all those things. I saw him realize he would never see anyone he cares about again. I didn’t see him give up on our fight, I saw him give up on life. That’s a weird thing, connecting with your enemy. I mean, I hate goblins, but is it possible to not hate every goblin, or only parts of goblins? Who’s to say every goblin wasn’t like this one? I didn’t even know what this goblin was doing here, I just kind of went to town on them because they were there. I saw humanity in that goblin, something I always thought they lacked. One final blow knocked him unconscious.

 I tied him up away from his friends and gathered my things before helping myself to the lion still over the fire. When I heard struggles hinting towards the goblin regaining consciousness, I grabbed my dagger and sat next to him. The free time I had at the castle all these years gave me time to study some languages. You know I learned Elvish, but recently I picked up Goblin. It’s such an angry language, so I don’t like using it, but I needed him to tell me where their hideout was. Of course, he wasn’t going to cooperate, but eventually he told me what I wanted. I have to decide what to do with the two bodies, I’ve never dealt with bodies before. I feel like I should burry them, but I don’t know. I think I’ll let the other goblin decide when he wakes up. I untied him and left some berries I found. For now, I’ll rest, and tomorrow finish my short journey north into the forest.

 I’m all set and ready to go. I don’t know what’s waiting for me in that forest, and I’m scarred. I want you to know I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t mean much now, but I am sorry. Even if I’m afraid, I need to go. The King will be grateful after this, and I owe you a story. You’re going to get the best story yet.

 It wasn’t a far walk to the cave, but I took my time. I always liked the forest. If I didn’t have my job, I’d probably move to a nice village. Maybe I’d get a job as a blacksmith, but not any regular one, one where I custom make everything. I could even mine my own materials if I had the time. I wonder if I could do specialty weapons too, like if I learned magic and enchanted them? That’d be really cool. If King Boridas lets me into his court, he might let me live outside the city in a nearby village. Curtlik is already there, and she can do anything ten times better than I can, so I could just come in if they needed me. Sorchan’s there too, he could teach me some spells! As great as that sounds, it’s not going to happen until I get this necklace.

 What do you think an entrance of a cave looks like? Now, I’m sure there are different kinds of entrances, but who decided just a hole in the ground qualifies? I didn’t see any goblins around when I snuck up, so I peeked down the steep entrance. It’s so cold, and I couldn’t fight the shiver that raced down my spine. The sun is high now, so I can see far down the dirt and rock tunnel. It turns at the end, going deeper underground. I guess I just go in? Not before I set a quick trap at the entrance with the sticks and rocks I collected. If any goblins show up while I’m inside, they’ll spring my tap and make enough noise for me to hear.

 I built the trap. It’s not pretty, but it will work. It’s actually kind of embarrassing how bad it is, like if any goblins see it and don’t set it off, I’ll still probably hear them because they’d be laughing so loudly at how bad this trap is. That’s why you love me, right? I’m lovable. Ugh, ok…

 Now that I have my back covered, there’s nothing left but to slowly decent into the cave. The mud is slippery, but it left some goblin tracks for me to follow if I get lost.

 You should know, what happens next is the coolest thing ever. Go on and imagine that epic music again, I’ll wait. I inched through the tunnel into the cave, my back against the wall, my head following the tip of my arrow back and forth between the mouth of the cave and the darkness that awaited me. The hallway curved right, and I clung to the inner wall. Judging by the prints in the mud, at least five goblins came through here, but how many more lay in wait? I would soon find out.

 Past the turn, the tunnel extended deeper forward into the shadows. The dim light of the torches provided weak light for me to see only a few feet ahead, so I relied on my hearing to identify enemies. As my progress grew, I found a door on my left. Crouching to listen, two voices pierced the hard wooden door, but what they were saying escaped me.

 Keeping one ear on the door, my hand tested the handle, which gently moved at my soft push. I let out a sigh of relief to not have to pick a lock, and I straightened myself for battle. BAM! I kicked in the door! As it flung in, the startled goblins scrambled for the weapons that decorated the room. They weren’t the only ones startled, though, because what I heard to be two goblins turned out to be four. It was too late go back, and their numbers passed over me as four quickly became three when I released my arrow into the chest of a goblin readying his crossbow.

 Ducking behind one of the pillars that held up the roof, I loaded another arrow and processed my survey of the room. I didn’t have long to look, but my quick eyes didn’t need much time to process the spacious armory I ambushed. There were weapons stored along the left and right walls, racks separated by benches and crates. Four pillars held up the roof at scattered points along the room. Clearly, not much thought was taken in the design. I wouldn’t have time to load another arrow after this, and I wouldn’t get lucky with another knock out shot again, so I had to be fast and smart.

 After a short exhale, I pivoted to meet the charge of a goblin raising his sword high in the air. I had just enough time to shoot down at his leg, sending an arrow deep into his thigh before spinning away from his swing. He stumbled and a quick push was all it took to send him falling to the ground. Two left. One raced to a spear while the other raised the loaded crossbow. Before I had time to react, I felt a blot from the crossbow rip deep into my bicep. I had my swords in each hand, but dropped one as the pain shot down my arm. I’ll be honest, this battle was less fun, and I certainly wasn’t smiling.

 I was pinned behind the pillar. If I moved now, I’d surely invite a spear attack, but if I continue to wait, I’ll have that crossbow to deal with. Even worse, the goblin I shoved was getting up and did not look happy. No time to waste, they were closing in, so I did the only thing I could. I moved along the left wall, first making quick work of the one goblin before moving forward, putting my injured arm between the other goblins and the rest of me. I figured better they hit that than my only good arm, and I was right because I felt the pressure of what could only be a spearhead tear at my arm. It was either the rush of battle or my previous injury, because that seemed to hurt less than I expected.

 The spear throwing goblin was prepared, and ran to meet me with a sword of his own. I tried to keep him between the crossbow and me, which worked well until he ditched the crossbow for a morning star. Luckily, I was well armored and the goblins were weak, because I couldn’t hold them both off. At the time, I only felt the pressure and force of the repeated attacks, but now the burning pain is setting in all over. I can’t tell what is bruised, broken, or bleeding.

 I don’t remember how long we fought, but I held my endurance and eventually outlasted them until I got enough slashes in to send one of the goblins falling back in defeat. I was so relieved to see him collapse, and so mad to remember that there was still one more of these things to deal with. I didn’t have time for this, and if there are any more of them coming I was done for. I wasn’t even listening for my trap anymore let alone considering how many more rooms I’d have to fight my way though. Up to this point, I had been pulling my attacks, aiming to incapacitate or knock them out, but I have a mission, and honestly if it’s me or a goblin, I’m choosing me.

 I swung my sword with all the strength I had in me, fueled further by my anger and frustration, and beat away his morning star with my sword, exposing his chest. Raising my leg, I almost lost my balance kicking the goblin back. It was then when I realized how tired I was. Sweat was mixing with blood and both were dripping down my face. I blinked away the liquid in my eyes and lunged forward. My eyes were closed when I heard the last gasping sound the goblin would make. My heavy breath and pounding heart rang in my ears when I felt his body slide off my sword and onto the ground. I keep telling myself I had to do it, but I can’t get the face of that other goblin at the camp out of my head.

 It wasn’t long thereafter that I too fell to my knees, hunched over, hands grabbing at the red dirt, and began to vomit.

 Now at this point I imagine you’re asking yourself how I thought this was the coolest thing ever. Well… just wait, ok? I still took down four goblins on my own, you can’t say that isn’t at least “alright”.

 I rested for a while there. Checking to see which goblins were still breathing, I found only one had died. I tied and gagged the rest in the corner. After barricading both the door I entered and the door on the other side, I patched myself up and laid down on one of the benches. I don’t know how long I was out, but the intense pounding on the far door opposite the one I entered jolted me awake. I was so sore, and the goblin shouting rung loud in my head. Everything hurt, and when I pushed myself off the bench, I collapsed to the ground. Wincing, I discover my minor wounds had begun to heal, but my right arm was still raw.

 Judging by the raps on the door and the shouting, I figured there were three of them: two at one door and one at the other. I didn’t have my full strength, but I also didn’t have a choice. Where my strength was weak I had to be smart. I was in a room full of weapons and supplies, if I could trap the doors, I might still have a chance of making out of here alive. My barricades were starting to give in too, I didn’t have much time. My heart was beating louder than the banging at the doors.

 The traps weren’t pretty, but they were effective. Just as I hoped, when the goblins broke through the door, they tripped a piece of rope I had strung across the floor, releasing the balanced morning stars and battle axes I placed over the door. The force of the impact was what did it. I still had the second goblin that came through one of the doors, but I was prepared for him too. He burst through, growling and showing his yellow teeth, and was greeted with a crossbow bolt to the heart. With my arm weak, I couldn’t use my bow, but I had a crossbow aimed right at the door ready for when he showed his face.

 It turned out my traps weren’t exactly perfect, and while I got lucky and a battle axe landed clean into one of the goblin’s head, it merely dazed the other. He was still recovering from the impact when my sword met his throat, and my battle was over. I had no choice but to keep moving now, I had no doors to protect me, so I exited through the door opposite I entered, my loaded crossbow leading the way. What met me was a short hallway which turned right, presumably a way around the armory back to the entrance, so I approached the door on the left. I took my time listening, partially to discern what was on the other side, but mainly to rest and catch my breath.

 I heard the now familiar sound of goblin grunts, but one sound was new, and it struck a fear into my heart which I had not yet known was possible. My breath escaped me as I continued listening to this new, monstrous sound. It spoke goblin, but its voice was barbaric, and its words were covered under growls and grunts. How could I content with this beast? Even if I was at my full health, there were at least three goblins in there with it. My hands shook and I hadn’t even seen the creature waiting for me, what would I do when its eyes marked me for death?

 I made a choice. I told myself I would get you a story, and I couldn’t end it there, not like this. I told the King I would find the Necklace of the Land, and my gut told me it was on the other side of the door. I could die a hero or live a coward, and I had no point living without honor. I lifted myself up, raised my crossbow, and kicked down the door.

[heroofmorderan-blog]

The Four Swords, Chapter 5: Into Nas

Welcome! Are you a fan of the Hero of Morderan story? Let me know what you think, I’d love feedback!  What follows is the fifth installment of the Hero of Morderan series. If you liked it, consider following me here and on Twitter @heroofmorderan. Share with friends, and let me know what you think! New chapters are released on the 1st and 15th of each month, enjoy!

It was beautiful, I’ve never seen such a detailed sword. It almost glowed in the dark alcove, it was so amazing. “Let me hold this one.” Cutrlik said, grabbing the sword before I could reach it myself. “You can get the next one, it will be better if one person doesn’t have them all in case one of us gets captured.” Pulling it out, she swung it through the air in one smooth motion, silently cut the space between us. That sword is so cool, I can’t wait until we get the next one so I can have a cool sword too.

“It’s just that we don’t know the power these things have, and I just have more training.” She said, almost apologetically, as she stored the sword across her back.

“Oh no I understand, you’ll be able to use it way better than me anyway.”

“It’s probably not the best idea to use these. We’ve never had practice with them, and who knows what kind of magical power they have, it might be dangerous to use untrailed.” She was right, I’ll only use them in emergency situations.

“What sword is next?” I asked as we walked out of the cave. We weren’t attacked by the violent sand storm when we left, it was a quiet afternoon, and the air was still.

“The Wind Blade.” I get the Wind Blade! Sweet! “It’s getting late, so why don’t we walk a bit and find a place to rest, then we’ll head there tomorrow. It’ll be fastest if we head through Nas, so that can be our goal for tomorrow.”

“Works for me!”

We used up the remaining sunlight for travel. The desert transformed to rolling plains as we traveled north-west to Nas. When we were walking, I decided it was finally time for me to ask her. I was holding off, not sure how she would respond, but I thought at that point we were close enough for me to be safe asking. The sun was just starting to sink below the plains, casting an orange glow across the sky. I took a deep breath.

“Hey, Curtlik, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

I waited, gathering my courage. The question was there, I knew exactly what I wanted to say, but the words clung to my throat, refusing to escape.

“What is it? Is it about my past? I’ve made my peace with it, you can ask.”

“No, it’s not that. Um, I’m trying to think of how to say it.” More like I was trying to negotiate with myself to figure out the words my mouth permitted to be said. It really was terrible. It’s ok, you can laugh, I’m sure you are.

“Ok, well you should just say it, right?” She asked, trying to help.

“Yeah, uh right. So, when I was getting the Necklace of the Land, before I got to the cave, I came across a goblin camp. There were three gobs there.” She laughed a bit when I said gobs.

“Well I killed two pretty quickly, it was cool I did this thing with my dagger and some rope, and then I restrained the last one to interrogate. I thought he could tell me about their base, and I hoped it could lead me to the necklace. That wasn’t my original plan, though. At first, I was just going to kill him too, but when I was beating him up, I saw something. I was on top of him, and I was punching him, and I looked into his eyes. They were so sad, so empty. It was like he had given up, just waiting to die. Is it possible that he had a family, or people he loved? Do you think he was mourned, you know? I don’t know if other goblins miss him, maybe more went looking for him when he didn’t come back? It’s been bothering me ever since it happened. I keep seeing that goblin whenever we fight, I feel bad killing them sometimes, you know? I mean, is that bad?”

She paused. “…No….no, I don’t think that’s bad. I think those things happen. You’re not a monster for killing goblins. Sure, it’s possible that goblin had a family, or even friends. That’s true for everything we kill. Those are the consequences. It’s no different from getting food though. Did you feel that way when you killed that boar for food the other day? You didn’t kill it because you wanted to or because you do it for fun, you did it because you had to. You didn’t have a choice. There’s a difference when you’re needlessly killing. We have a purpose, and that’s what keeps us from being like goblins. They do it because they can, we do it because we have to.”

“You don’t think it’s possible that a goblin doesn’t want to kill people? There are people who kill for fun sometimes, don’t you think it’s possible that there’s more than one side to goblins too?”

“Sure, but I haven’t met one, and I’m not going to give each goblin I fight a trial before I kill them.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

That talk helped a bit, I think. It makes sense, if we’re fighting I have to save myself, but I wonder about the gobs who aren’t fighting. The ones who are just doing their best for themselves, but no one gives them a chance. I wonder if they like being called gobs.

We made it to Nas by the end of the day. I don’t think you’ve ever been there before, unless you have since you left. Just in case, I’ll tell you about it. To be honest, I didn’t know that much about it either, so most of this is what Curtlik told me.

Haledine is so big, it’s like everyone you see is a new person, and it’s probably the first and last time you’ll ever see them. You might see a few people more than others if your routines overlap, but for the most part it’s a city of strangers. People look out for themselves, and friends help each other, but, you know, we more or less did things on our own, which is fine. It’s not cold, it’s just independent.

Nas is nothing like that. It’s not nearly as wealthy or big as Haledine, it’s fairly modest, and just a small town where everyone knows each other. They take pride in their town and the work they do together. Esmerelda is the barkeep, and Curtlik said the town loves her. She’s like the older sister of the town. They’re secretly pretty well off financially, too. They live near a big mine and export the gems they get there.

That’s why Curtlik and I were so surprised when we get to Nas and saw it in ruins. Walking down the main street into town, we watched the townspeople repair the shutters that had fallen off windows, sweep up debris in the street, broken glass and plates, paper, even food covered the streets. Some of the homes were damaged, doors handing off their hinges, and windows were boarded up. It was like a mob tore through the town, destroying everything in its path.

We walked in, watching the people work. It was amazing to see everyone helping. They looked exhausted, like they hadn’t slept for days. If it wasn’t for the mess and destruction, it would be such a nice town. Stores and homes line the road going into town. At the end of the road, a small park makes up the town square. At the center is a giant fountain surrounded by well-kept grass and marble benches, only the grass is town up and the benches are damaged. Behind the park is a large mansion.

The further we walked in, the more people began to stare at us. First in tired curiosity, but slowly murmurs of unsettling suspicion grew. “I don’t like this.” I whispered to Curtlik, my hand drifting towards my sword.

“No” she caught my hand. My heart jumped, this is the last place I wanted to be holding her hand for the first time. “Just stay close to me.” She looked at me, then realized she was still holding my hand back and pulled away. I didn’t know what to do.

“Hello! My name is Curtlik-“

“IT’S THE VANDALS! GET THEM!” a shout came from one of the townspeople. Around us, people grabbed whatever was around, knives, hammers, planks of wood, or rope and closed in around us.

“Can I use my sword now?” I asked, backing up to Curtlik.

“Wait.” She ordered. “No, we’re from Haledine, on a quest from King Boridas! We can help!”

The riot grew larger as people began to circle us.

“Hi, listen, we don’t want trouble. Just tell us what’s going on!” I desperately tried to explain. They were just a bunch of people, but they were surprisingly intimidating.

“We’ll be the judge of that! You’re probably here to cause more trouble!”

“Yeah!” the mob cheered. They were getting close, I began to feel Curtlik get nervous. Neither of us wanted trouble, but there’s only so much we can do if they start attacking.

“What’s going on here!?” A single voice dissipated the riot. The crowd drew back, people whispering to each other or looking down at the dirt. From the edge of the group, the mass of people split, making way for someone to enter. She made it to where we were, positioning herself between us and the man who spoke for the sudden riot.

She was a young woman, and her white shirt and brown pants were covered by a long brown apron. Her hair was tied back and either naturally brown or darkened by dirt. She had a hand crossbow. It was pointed down, but her finger hugged the trigger.

“Somebody better tell me what this is.” She demanded, looking at the unkept man.

“We found the vandals, we were going to capture them!” The man explained, surprised at how that wasn’t already clear. When she looked at me, I felt warmth in her grey eyes. Even though the moment was tense, it was like inside she was still smiling.

“You have no proof. Just because this is happening to us doesn’t mean we have to become animals. We’re civilized. We’re going to wait until Lord Lester returns and we’ll figure this out then.” Her finger left the trigger of her crossbow, I let out a slow sigh of relief.

“Hi, um we’re kind of in a hurry. When will this Lord Lester be back?” I asked. We had swords to get, and I was sooner going to break out of here before I waste days on this.

“He went to Vastfield about a week ago, he should be back tomorrow before noon.”

“Please understand,” this time Curtlik stepped forward, holding her hands up. “We’re on a quest for King Boridas. It’s very important and time sensitive. We don’t have time to wait for whoever Lord Lester is.”

“Lord Lester is in charge of Nas. You must have been traveling some time if you come from Haledine. Perhaps you could use a soft bed and a warm meal. It won’t cost you, you’ll be my guest.”

“If Lord Lester’s gone, who’s in charge now?” I asked. I was suspicious, something didn’t seem right. When I asked, all hostility and suspicion was immediately replaced by warmth and pride.

“We’ll that would be me,” she said, standing up straight, chest out and head up. “I’m Esmerelda, I own the Sleepy Fairy Inn.” I fought back a snicker, she’s fun. “You can spend the night there, and we can figure this all out tomorrow. I think we’ll just have a few questions, and you offered to help us, so maybe we can talk about that.”

“But-“ The man protested.

“No, that’s enough. It’s getting late, I suggest you go back home before curfew. I’m not afraid to shoot you.” Esmerelda waited for the crowd to clear, then walked us to her Inn.

“Curfew?” I asked.

“With this vandals on the loose, we want to make sure everyone is safe. I’m sorry about all this. I’m sure you two don’t have anything to do with it.”

“How long has this been going on?” Curtlik asked, looking at all the destruction.

“Every night since Lester left, it’s put a toll on our town. The good news is with you at the Fairy tonight, if the vandals cause more destruction tonight, you two will be cleared.”

“Thank you, Esmerelda.” Cutrlik said what I was thinking.

I liked the Sleepy Fairy. There was nothing special about it, really, but I guess it’s the people that make the place anyway, and if the people didn’t hate us I’m sure it would be a fun place to hang out.

When we walked in, the people talking at the bar or at tables suddenly stopped and stared. For all the destruction that this town has gone through, this place wasn’t too bad. Some broken tables and chairs made a pile in the far corner, but the ones that were still intact decorated the room. There was some dirt on the floor, and light shining through the boarded windows reflected off floating durst. A bar was on the left side of the room, in front of a staircase leading up to a balcony on the second floor where the rooms were.

“There’s nothing to see here. Now, it’s getting late, why don’t y’all finish your drinks and get before I have to kick you out.” Esmerelda smirked when she said it, but I feel like she actually would have done it. “Common, I’ll show you your room. Now do you need one or two?”

“Two. Yeah, two is fine.” We said in unison. Esmerelda poorly hid her amusement at that.

“Ha, alright, come with me.” We made our way up the steps and into one of the rooms. It wasn’t luxurious, but it was infinitely better than the ground I’ve been used to these past few days, so I was excited. Really there was just a bed, but I bet it was softer than dirt I was used to. Under the window to the main road was a night stand. I looked out the window, over to the small park and back down the street we walked down.

“Well this is one, and someone else can have the room next door.” Esmerelda said. “I’m going to make sure everyone is gone downstairs, and I’ll bring you both something to drink?”

“That would be perfect, thank you.” Curtlik answered.

“Yes please.” I echoed.

The door closed behind us, and as we heard the footsteps of Esmerelda descending, I turned to Curtlik.

“What are we going to do?” I asked, sitting on the bed.

“We have to get out of here. We don’t have time for this.”

“So we’ll wait until night, and escape?”

“I guess.”

“I was looking forward to sleeping in a bed tonight.” I sighed.

“You’ll live.”

“I don’t know, something doesn’t seem right.” My gaze drifted towards the window.

“As much as I would like to stay, we have a mission. Esmerlda seems capable of handling it.” Cutrlik was leaning against the wall, looking out the same window.

“She’s nice.” I pointed out.

“Yeah, I like her.”

The sound of footsteps made their way into the room. Not long after, Esmerelda came in. She held a tray with three mugs.

“I don’t know about y’all, but I could use some ale.” She said, extending the tray to each of us. It was good ale, I would recommend it. Cutrlik and I both thanked Esmerelda as she walked to the window. Looking out, she held the tray under her arm and took a sip from her mug. “My own brew, it’s a secret recipe. The days pass so quickly now, we spend it rebuilding this town. No sooner do we finish it’s night. We wake up to more destruction.”

“You’ve never seen them come?” I asked.

“No, they come at night after we’re all asleep.” There was a hopelessness in her voice. It broke my heart.

“Has anyone tried staying up to catch them?” Curtik wondered.

“Every night. I always fall asleep somehow. We all wake up in the morning with no memory of the night. This has ruined more than the buildings in this town, people are scared, angry. Relationships are torn. People are on edge. It’s terrible, and there’s nothing I can do.” I saw the reflection of a tear fall down her face.

Curtlik moved to Esmerelda, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be alright. We’ll stay up with you tonight.”

“I appreciate that, thank you both.” She smiled weakly, turning to face us. “Well, it’s getting late, I best- OH!”

The tray and mug crashed to the floor, ale spilling across the floor. Esmerelda doubled over, crying out in pain. She fell to her knees, gasping. Her eyes shot open in panic, her fear washed over me. I stood, rushing to help her, but Curtlik stopped me. Her hand was on her sword. This wasn’t anything she was prepared for either.

Another agonizing scream shot out from Esmerelda. Her fingers gripped at the floor. Her spine hunched up, putting her head between her knees. Air rushed out of her when she exhaled, like someone was pushing all the air out of her in one painful motion. Falling to her side, she shook violently on the ground. She stopped screaming then, no, she was silent. All we could do was watch, terror struck us frozen.

Esmerelda let out a sharp breath, followed by deep moans. She was covered in sweat, the room smelled of ale. Under her droning moans, we began to hear snaps. Breaks and pops coming from her body as her arms and legs bent, becoming deformed right in front of us. On the floor, Esmerelda slowly, violently, transformed.

Her skin boiled, turning a light brown with spots of green. Her legs shrunk about a foot, her arms elongated twice that. Her hands curled, her fingers turning into claws until no trace of Esmerelda was left, nothing except those grey eyes. This new creature with her eyes remained motionless on the floor before us.

“Um, WHAT!?” I couldn’t believe what I just saw.

“I don’t know.” Curtlik was quiet.

“WHAT IS THAT!?”

“I DON’T KNOW!” Curtlik repeated.

“I have rope in my bag, let’s tie it up before it wakes up.” I suggested, reaching in my bag. Curtlik’s sword was drawn, pointing at the creature. Her breath was consciously steady, like she was trying to calm herself down.

When I approached what use to be Esmerelda, it started moving, regaining consciousness. I got it bound before it fought back, but it strained hard against the rope. It growled as us, bearing its sharp yellow teeth.

“I think Esmerelda is still in there.” I said. We just stood there staring at it.

A loud crash from outside broke the silence between us. We raced to the window. Roars and howls consumed the night. Waves of those creatures flooded the main street outside, destroying everything.

“Oh my….” I heard Curtlik whisper under her breath.

“This is bad. It happened to everyone.” I said, watching the destruction unfold.

“Why not us?” Curtlik was right, if everyone in town turned into those things, shouldn’t we have too?

“Maybe he knows.” The rioting dissipated closer to the park. From the window, we saw a different creature, not like the townspeople. It was hard to tell exactly what it was from here, but he was like a tall, lanky goblin. His skin was rough, a dark green that blended into the grass he was sitting on. Long black hair fell to the ground behind him.

Suddenly, a small fire burst in front of him, then quickly extinguished itself. The creature took something from where the fire was, then walked through the park and up into the mansion.

“Only one way to find out.” Curtlik said, turning to exit the room. I followed close behind, giving one last look at the creature tied on the floor. “We’ll save you.” I thought. The front door to the Sleepy Fairy was boarded up, preventing the creatures pounding at the door from entering. With that blocked, we had to find another way out.

Through the kitchen was a back door leading to a back ally. It seemed like the focus of these creatures was the main street, because the back street was empty. We clung to the walls, staying in the dark as we made our way down the street towards the mansion. That was my favorite park, Curtlik and I sneaking around.

About half way there, one of those creatures like the one Esmerelda turned into wandered into the street in front of us. There was nowhere we could go. As soon as it saw us, it shouted a horrible scream, barely audible over the same cries only a street over, and charged us. When it ran, it limped over its short legs, flailing its arms around.

We ran to meet the creature. It swatted at both of us with its oversized claws. I slid on the dirt under the attack, Curtlik jumped, spinning over the arms entirely. The creature stopped, almost as if it was confused by how we suddenly vanished. We didn’t stop. Together, we ran towards it. It turned too late, and we used the handle of our swords to reinforce our punches until we took it out. We made sure not to kill it, only knock it out. The creature collapsed to the ground and we went on.

The mansion was gated on all sides. A long path lead from the entrance to the front of the mansion. Looking closely, Curtlik pointed out two of those creatures standing guard at the front door. If we tried approaching, we’d be spotted before we even got close. One thing caught my attention at the front of the gate, a sign attached to the metal. It read “The Home of Lord Lester”.

“What now?” I asked Curtlik.

“Find another way in.”

[heroofmorderan-blog]

The Four Swords, Chapter 4: The Earth Blade

What follows is the fourth installment of the Hero of Morderan series. If you liked it, consider following me here and on Twitter @heroofmorderan. Share with friends, and let me know what you think! New chapters are released on the 1st and 15th of each month (with the exception of this bonus addition), enjoy!

I didn’t sleep that well. Maybe it was the excitement of getting the Earth Blade, maybe I was still worked up from escaping that lizard dungeon yesterday. I thought about it a lot while I was looking up at the stars. Curtlik had the last watch shift, so she was still sleeping. The bird we had the night before wasn’t very filling, so it didn’t take long before I was hungry for breakfast.

The sun was coming out, so I felt comfortable exploring a bit further from camp. Not too far, if anything came I would be there before it got Curtlik, but far enough to find some food. While I was hunting, the memories of the previous day ran through my head. It really was fun, I’d fight with her anywhere. Still, there were things I wanted answered. Curtlik said it would be a few hours before we got to the cave, so we’d have time to talk while we walked.

I think the first thing I want to ask her was what that lizard said about Galithan. I’m beginning to worry about what that could mean. I also want to, though I dare not, ask about those veins. I fear they hold a darkness as deep as King Galithan himself, and I don’t know what I would do if I knew that as fact. Besides, she’s helping now, so I can’t complain too much.

I also want to ask her about her thoughts on killing. I’ve been doing it, and I’ve been convincing myself it’s the right thing to do, but I can’t shake the guilt I feel looking down at their bodies.

These thoughts ran through my head as I hunted. I stalked through the grass, using the skills Curtlik taught me. It wasn’t long before I found a nice boar. I slowly cooked it over the fire with herbs I found, waiting for Curtlik to get up. I wonder if she’s dreaming about anything.

We left not long after eating and cleaning up camp. She really liked breakfast too, by the way. I was pretty proud of myself. You never liked when I cooked boar, she said it was the best she ever had, so take that. The Earth Blade is somewhere in the desert. I can’t tell you exactly where, but it’s a good days trip away, so we wasted no time.

After a few minutes of silence, I decided to give conversation a shot. I felt less nervous this time, I think we’re close at this point. “I was thinking, did it seem weird to you that the lizard thing mentioned Galithan and the swords? Those aren’t things everyone knows, right?”

“I was thinking about that too.” Yeah, we’re totally on the same page. “The creatures must have captured us to make sure we couldn’t get the swords, or maybe they wanted to interrogate us into tell them where they are. They could be acting on their own to get the swords themselves and use their power for their own agenda, but I’m familiar with their race, they’re not that smart. There working for someone. If Galithan has come back, it’s possible that they’re working for him. He must have gotten them to capture us to get more information about the swords. If that’s true, this could be worse than we expected. If King Galithan is going after the swords, this mission is more urgent than we thought. Not only do we have to get them before he grows to power, but we have to get them before he does.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought too.” That never occurred to me. To be fair, I probably would have gotten there eventually, but yeah I had no idea about all that. “I know we’re supposed to bring each sword back to Haledine when we find them, but maybe we can save some time by just going to get them all before we go back?”

“That’s a good idea,” she agreed. Hehe, it was, wasn’t it? “I’ll send a note to him when we rest to let him know our plan.”

“We’ll get the swords in no time, I think we have a great strategy. I’ve never really fought with anyone before. I guess you’ve probably fought with a lot of people before, hu?” I looked down at my feet. I was nervous to look at her. She didn’t answer immediately, and during that time I tried to convince myself that I asked a good question.

“A few, yes. Not really anymore, we didn’t work out well. Don’t worry, you’re doing fine.” I looked up into the horizon, still avoiding eye contact, but I could feel her eyes on me. I could tell she was smiling. I hope I wasn’t blushing, I never could tell when I was blushing. It was hot, so if I was maybe she thought it was just the sun.

“Thanks, I mean I fought a little with my ex-wife, you know, but, uh, I haven’t seen her in a while. Not fight like yelling, I meant, like, fighting how we were talking about it. Not that we didn’t other kind of fight, but that’s not what I meant.” Oh jeeze, I really messed that up.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She frowned. I made it awkward.

“No, it’s fine, I mean we’ve both moved on. She’s a great person, I still care about her and all, but like you said, it just didn’t really work out well.”

“I get it. Well like I said, you’re great.” I think she was looking at me. I took the chance, daring my head to turn to her. There she was, not like I expected her not to be there, but a little bit of me always gets excited to see her. It’s a special moment. We held each other’s gaze.

“Thanks, you too.” I guess it was pretty hot out, her face was all red. I let out a nervous laugh and we walked on.

We walked for a few hours and decided to rest here for lunch. Curtlik said she’d go out and get lunch since I got breakfast. It’s a really beautiful day. Have you ever come in from outside on a hot day, and your mouth is so dry? Your sweat is salty, and it collects on your upper lip, only making you more thirsty. You’re tired, and you’re weighed down by every effort. Your feet drag, and you can’t get to cold water fast enough. Then finally you have it, and you fight the urge to drink it all at once, wanting to save it for the comforting relaxation of the couch, so you compromise and just have a sip. If anything, it just gets you excited for when you finally sit down. The couch is so soft, so inviting, and it soaks up all your exhaustion. All your stress melts away as you enjoy the nice cold water. It doesn’t make you happy, not that you’re unhappy. You’re content. The thing about being happy is that, deep down, you fear the moment when it goes away. You resent the future where this isn’t your reality and you have to go to work and this present abandons you. No, this moment on the couch is peace. It’s good, and all you have to do is enjoy this moment.

That’s how I feel now. I intellectually know there’s still evil out there, with King Galithan it’s as bad as ever, but right now that doesn’t matter. I know I’ll have to probably risk my life and suffer the pains of battle, but right now that doesn’t matter. Right now, all that matters is that it’s a nice, warm day, and almost as if the wind is in on the plan, it’s blowing gently to keep us cool. Curtlik is out getting a lunch I couldn’t be more excited for, and for right now, things are good. It’s like the colors are more crisp, more vibrant, more bright, like they’re cheering, also content with the day. Spirits are high.

It’s been a while since I looked at the clouds. They can make such interesting shapes sometimes, like they’re playing a game, challenging us to figure out what they look like. I don’t think I’ll play, I think I’ll just appreciate how unique they are. Why do they have to be anything? Why can’t I just appreciate them for being there? That’s what I’m doing, anyway.

I’m grateful, I think that’s what it is. I’m grateful for you. Sure, I didn’t have you for long, and for that I feel terrible, but I’m grateful for the moments we did have together. Even for that small amount of time, you changed my life. I don’t think I’d be here if you didn’t inspire me, encourage me to be brave and go on this mission. I don’t think I ever thanked you enough or told you how much I cared. If I ever see you again, I want to change that.

Curtlik said it’s good to be nervous because it means we care. All this time I thought that meant I cared about the mission and protecting Haledine. I don’t think that’s true though. I mean, yes, I obviously care and want to do that, but I think there’s a deeper reason. I think deep down, I think about you. I think I get nervous and scared because I’m afraid that if I don’t make it out of whatever fight or battle, I won’t be able to see you again. That’s worse than anything I could imagine. I’ve been thinking about this mission all wrong. I’ve thought, I’ll protect and save Haledine, and I’ll help you, and I’ll see you. It was always AND you. But no, it’s not AND. You’re not an AND, something that gets added on as a plus at the end. It’s ONLY you. It’s ALWAYS you. You’re first. I fight because of you, for you, and only you. It’s not and you, it’s only you. It’s a nice day.

Lunch was good, we didn’t talk about much. Look, I’m not going to recount every meal and every conversation we had, ok? It wasn’t much longer after we ate that we made it to the entrance of where the Earth Blade was. Now this looked like the entrance to a cave. The wind was strong here, making it almost invisible until we were right at the entrance. Nested in the side of a sand dune was a stone arch. At the top of the arc, carved into the stone, was a sword, the top of which was a rising sun. This was it. I wasn’t scared, I was excited. I was hungry to discover what waited for us in there.

As we approached the entrance to the cave, the wind grew stronger. It roared in our ears, and each step we took was a struggle to keep our balance. No sooner did we step our feet got covered in easily half a foot of sand. I squinted, covering my eyes, but making sure to not lose sign of Curtlik. We stayed close, but it felt like one wrong move could easily separate us. It was worse right under the entrance. Sand assaulted my senses. My vision only saw the wall of sand before me, and each step I took was only based on my memory of the right direction. I called out, but chocked on the sand that flooded my mouth. There was no point in listening for her, only the wind screamed, called out against me. I felt alone, trapped. I swam through the sand, dropping to my hands and knees for better stability. Head down and eyes closed, I pushed on.

Then it stopped. I froze, slowly becoming aware of my surrounding. I had passed through the entrance, some barrier protecting us from the storm. Curtlik was already there, shaking sand out of her hair. I let out a long sigh, I was already exhausted, but I knew there was no time to stop. I rose and dusted myself off. I looked to Curtlik who seemed to be finishing doing the same. She asked if I was alright. I was fine, and let her know, then asked about herself. “Never better.” She said, dumping sand out of her quiver.

Once we were ready, we looked to the room we were in. It was bad. We stood on a raised platform, about fifteen feet up from the ground. On either side were stone steps along the wall leading to the ground- a large circular area thirty feet across. On the opposite side of the room was a door. The floor was what took my breath. Rather, what was on it. It was a horrifying sight, an image I never imagined seeing.

The ground was scattered with bodies. What made it worse was that it wasn’t just one or two races, it was a collection of the most feared and despised races. Declared enemies of Haledine. Goblins and orcs, some completely dismembered, others contorted into disturbing positions, shared the floor with those lizard creatures from before, wolves who seemed to take the shape of humans, and even giant spiders all lie dead on the floor beneath us. When we investigated closer, we found them pierced with arrows and darts, some dipped in poison. Other bodies were charred, making identifying their race impossible.

You’re probably wondering how this is a bad thing. A bunch of enemies are dead, why am I complaining? At first glance, you’d be right, but there’s only one time these races have ever worked together, and that’s when they united under King Galithan. He’d come back. The only consolation is that they died before we had to fight them.

We moved out attention to the room itself. At the bottom of the steps was a thin wire, broken at the center. Along the walls and floor were small holes. This room was a giant trap. It’s unlikely someone could find all the triggers in this place, but they could certainly set them all off. They must have come for the sword and not made it past the first room. It didn’t mean we could let our guard down, though. It’s possible some made it past, and there were probably more traps the deeper we went.

We were right. As we walked further down the hallway on the opposite side of the room, we found pressure plate after trip wire. A few were tripped, releasing giant falling axes or spikes from the walls. Others we set off ourselves. As we walked, neither of us saw it, and Curtlik must have gotten lucky and just stepped over, but my foot caught the end of a wire, sending rocks down on my head.

There were some bodies along the way, those who made it past the first room/ Maybe they waited, anticipating something like that, then moved once it was safe. The further we went, the less common they were. The long trap filled hallway finally opened to another large room. Our feet stopped on the soft dirt ground. Stone walls rose high and curved to form the ceiling. Stalactites hung down, water collecting on their tips and dropping to the ground.

It looked like some stalactites fell, and pierced themselves in the ground. One even hit something. My eyes focused on the body, craning my neck to get a better view. Not one, but two creatures revealed themselves. Dead on the ground were two of those giant goblinoid creatures I fought when I got the Necklace of the Land. Fear instantly rushed over my body. I could hardly take one of those, and whatever is in this room was able to defeat too. We had to be careful.

We stood for a moment at the opening of the room, waiting. There wasn’t anything in particular we were waiting for, but the last large room we were in was full of traps, so maybe we were just waiting for something to explode. Across the room was a giant boulder. It looked like it was placed to cover a small alcove in the wall.

“So, do we just go?” I asked, unsure of what else to do.

“I don’t see any traps, but let me go first. Cover me.” Curtlik answered in a whisper, almost as if talking any louder would set off some trap armed in the room. I drew my bow and scanned the room. Holding my breath, I watched her take her first step into the opening. She moved slowly, ready to jump back at the first sign of danger. Her heel made soft contact with the dirt. Moving forward, she put her foot down, preparing to take the next step.

No sooner did her back foot leave the dirt, a low rumbling began to grow in the ground. We both crouched down to keep our balance during the earthquake. More stalactites fell from the ceiling, one driving itself into the torso of a dead giant goblin. Soon the shaking passed, and again we stood waiting in the entrance of the room.

“I’m going to move in.” She said. Her voice was less confident, I think the earthquake had unnerved her. One of the previously fallen stalactites had collapsed on the ground, making the goblinoid creatures clearly visible. Was she as scared of what their death meant as I was?

“Good luck.” I whispered.

She had taken a few calculated steps in when the rumbling started again. This time it wasn’t the whole ground that shook, just the rock across the room. Out from the ground came two rock arms that lifted the rock torso off the floor. Feet stepped out last, two giant boulders covered in moss. In all, the rock creature stood easily ten feet tall. It was massive, and its feet sunk into the ground with each thundering step.

The good news was that it was slow, and I don’t think rock is that smart, so I had some hope. It didn’t move much closer to us after the first few steps, almost like it was guarding whatever was behind it. Instinctually, I shot my arrow at the creature. Sailing past the stalactites, it merely bounced off the stone. Arrows weren’t going to cut it, that stone was too hard to break.

“Wait.” Curtlik held out her hand in front of me. “We can take out time, I don’t think that thing is going to attack us unless we get close.” I lowered my bow, and finally stepped into the room with her.

“Arrows aren’t going to hurt that, it’s made of rock. We aren’t going to be able to do anything by just cutting it. We’re either going to have to crush it or stab it. My sword is strong enough to pierce it, but see if one of those goblin things had a morning star or mace you could use.”

“Works for me, I’ll be right behind you.” I looked to the huge goblinoid creatures, then to Curltik. She paused for a moment.

“Then let’s do this.” She said, then moved towards the living rock. I trusted her, and I told myself I was going to be more helpful this time around. “It will be more effective if we attack the same point, that way we might be able to break through the rock. Let’s switch out, one person can distract while the other attacks a point on the side.” She continued.

“Sounds good to me, I’ll attack first, you block.”

“Fine, just make sure you save some fun for me.”

The giant arms clashed with Curtlik’s sword. I slid past them and used the morning star I lifted on my way to attack the rock guardian. I stayed alert, making sure I wouldn’t get blindsided again. The morning star chipped at the stone until I became the target of attack. He was slow, so I could block or dodge the attacks, but resisting the continuous pounding tested my resolution.

I strained against what would be a fist, pushing down on the neck of the morning star I was using to block the attack. Glancing over, I watched as Curtlik stabbed her sword at the exact spot I attacked earlier. I don’t know how much longer I could distract this thing, so I took a deep breath, calling out as I exhaled. “Switch!”

Stopping her attack, she moved to me. Cutting at the creature’s arms pressing down on me, she held their weight with her sword, allowing me to step back. She never ceases to impress me. As I moved out of the way, I looked back to her. She was smiling. Her eyes looked up to the beast, and she was actually smiling, like she was having fun taking on this new challenge. I don’t know how she does it.

When I got to the side, I saw where she was attacking previously. She made great progress: cracks were starting to form around the wound. If she could hold in there, I might be able to finish this.

“Hang in there!” I shouted.

“Ha! Look who’s talking!” She replied. Taking another deep inhale, I lifted my weapon high over my head and brought it down onto the rock’s side. The crash of rock on steel echoed through the room, followed by the soft thud of the morning star falling to the ground. Again, I lifted it high and brought it down exactly where it was before. Pieces of rock fell off. I stayed focused on the one point. Again, I swung down. Again, more rock fell off, more this time, bigger pieces.

Once more, I gathered my strength. Everything I had went into this swing. With both hands, I landed the final hit. A loud crash boomed as the side of the creature crumbled like dust to the ground. The second half fell to the ground before it too crumbled.

We looked at each other, both breathing heavily. I shared her joy, then. It was a good fight, almost fun. We worked well together.

“Good job.” She said.

“Thanks, you too. I couldn’t let you get all the kills on this mission.” I joked. She only scoffed, letting out a quick laugh before moving towards the opening the rock creature was protecting. There were markings, like glyphs along the long silver blade that dug deep into the soil. The green handle had a small sapphire at the bottom, and the hilt curved up towards the blade on both sides. At the base on the sword was a small green triangle with the tip pointed along the blade. It was the Earth Blade.

[heroofmorderan-blog]

The Four Swords, Chapter 3: Escape the Dungeon

What follows is the third installment of the Hero of Morderan series. If you liked it, consider following me here and on Twitter @heroofmorderan. Share with friends, and let me know what you think! New chapters are released on the 1st and 15th of each month, enjoy!

I woke up to the taste of dirt in my mouth. The only light in the room came from a small window in the door. I groaned as the light was blocked by Curtlik looking through the window. I moved to join her, only to discover I was bound. Looking over, I saw a coil of rope next to a body shaped spot in the dirt. I strained against my own rope, but Curtlik quickly came to untie me. Getting up, I was able to fully assess the room. It was dirty. Not a cluttered, messy dirty either, in fact, it was empty save the rope, but unclean. The air hung thick with dirt, and moving felt like I was wading through a cloud of filth. My sweaty clothes clung to my body, attracting more of the Earth, turning it into mud on my skin.

I don’t remember too much about what was going through my head. This was the first time I was ever captured, which was exciting. I think I would have been more panicked if Curtlik wasn’t there. Seeing her up and assessing the situation made me feel comfortable. I was looking forward to working with her, shared experiences bring people closer, and nothing says team building like escaping your captors.

There wasn’t much to learn about our situation, but Curtlik filled me in with what wasn’t immediately clear. We seemed to be captured by some humanoid lizards. Whoever is on guard comes to check on us every ten minutes or so. Our immediate concern was escaping, which was a problem because all of our equipment was taken. It would have been nice if there was a nail or something on the ground to use to pick the lock, but I wasn’t able to find one lying around.

Curtlik seemed to be prepared, though. Hidden in her hair was a small needle. It was amazing, within seconds she had the door unlocked. I guess I wasn’t hiding my admiration, because when she looked over, she returned the smile that unconsciously grew across my face. Without weapons, I grabbed the rope in the room. I tossed Curtlik hers and wrapped one end around each of my fists. She flashed me a quick smile and nodded, wrapping her right fist in the rope.

The cell we were in was at the end of a long hall. The only light came from a torch around the corner. It cast a shadow along the wall of the creature guarding us. We moved quickly down the inside wall. As we crept closer, the smell began to grow stronger. The hot, wet air carried the smell of rotting fish. It crawled along my skin with each step, and by the time we were half way down the hall I was franticly finding ways to breath without gagging. Pivoting, Curtlik covered my mouth with her free hand. Her eyes communicated her impatience with me more than any words could.

I don’t want her to feel like she’s stuck with me. I mean, I’d like to be useful and not just a risk factor here. She’s so hard to get a read on, is she mad she’s stuck with me on this mission? I’m sure she would prefer to do this alone.

We inched towards the end of the hallway. The smell grew stronger still, but I managed to hide any sign of my suffocating discomfort. The shadow of what must have been one of the lizard people was large on the wall to our side. Silently, Curtlik communicated our plan. She didn’t speak, but I was able to understand every word. I felt light inside, I was so excited to team up with her. A moment after I nodded in readiness, Curtlik swung out from behind the wall. I was close behind her, and when she swept the feet out from under the creature, I was there to wrap my rope around his neck and drag him into the dark hallway with us.

Curtlik kept watch as the silent gasps and struggles of the lizard weakened until he fell unconscious. When it was over, I brought the torch he had dropped over to get a good look at the creature. He was maybe five feet tall and slender. His skin was a smooth teal that glistened in the light. Looking closer, I realized his body was actually covered in small scales. He had simple leather armor covering his top half, but his legs were only protected by his natural armor. His tail fell down by his feet, just two long toes with short talons at the end. His thin claws were still grasping the rope around his neck, and his mouth lay open, revealing rows of small teeth and a dark blue tongue.

I wondered about him. I considered our shared experience as a guard, and what else we may have shared. I wondered who he was. I thought back to the goblin.

I didn’t think for long, because Curtlik mentioned that we had to keep moving. She had a spear the lizard must have been holding, and gave me the torch to carry with us. Slowly, we moved down the hallway. My eyes watered at the smell, it was terrible. At the end of the hallway, it turned left and right. We couldn’t see what was on the right, but two more lizard creatures were standing on the left. One had a club, the other a short sword. They spoke in faint hisses, almost whispers.

My blood was pumping, the excitement of battle coursed through me. Thanks to the adrenaline from escaping, I didn’t even fear death the whole time like when I went through that goblin cave, it was really cool! I could get use to this.

Again, Curlik turned to me, this time only for us to exchange knowing glances. She turned and threw the spear into the lizard holding the short sword. The hallway filled with a painful hiss as he stumbled backward. My target was the second lizard. Moving quickly, I tackled him to the ground.

He was strong despite his size. We struggled briefly before he threw me to the dirt. Cutrlik was ready, and she kept him off balance with repeated blows to the face and chest. I went to retrieve the spear, but couldn’t miss watching her controlled attacks. Each hit flowed into the next, constantly driving the lizard creature back. Her eyes never left his.

Even as he fell to the floor, his body visibly bleeding a dark green slime, she watched her enemy. She looked to me now, the fight was still in her eyes. I could only wonder what she thought. There was no time, and she suggested we move on under her breath.

We investigated the other direction of the hallway. It didn’t lead far, just to a small alcove, but it seemed to be some kind of nest. In it were piles of small eggs the size of pebbles. Their dark gray color blended with the poorly lit ground and walls on which they held. A thin film of slime, like the creature’s blood but bluer, covered the egg sacs and covered the surrounding surfaces. The smell was strongest here, I swear I still smell it on my clothes.

There was nothing to gain there, so we moved on. I turned to walk back down the hallway, hopefully out of this cave. Curtlik followed behind and soon took point. We still hadn’t found our gear, so I grabbed the short sword one of the lizards had, while Curtlik carried the spear. The path was short, but we took our time, searching for traps or more guards. Eventually, it opened up to a large cavern. The stone walls curved high into a dome shape and seemed to be decorated with artistic paintings. Two things caught my eye: the first was our items resting on the wall to our right, the other was the sun shining bright through the opening on the other side of the room.

A third thing, though not immediately in my sights, quickly became apparent. Out from the dark contrast of light from the exit came a hulkish creature. He was a humanoid lizard, just like the others, but easily twice as tall and three times as wide. The bones of his spine were raised and the sharp gaze of his orange eyes shot across at us. He held a giant club in one hand, the end of it rested in the other. In a hiss, he spoke. Each sentence trailing off under his breath.

“SSSoooo… you try to essssscapppeee? I don’t thhhhinnkkk King Galithhhannn would likeee thattttt. Nooo, the sssssswoordssssss arrrre hissssssss.”

I don’t know how she did it, but Curtlik seemed to be unaffected by the creature’s words. She even called back that the swords belonged to Haledine before running towards the beast. I had to take a moment. How did King Galithan know anything about the swords still being around, and what do these lizard creatures have to do with it?

The moment was short lived, though, and I told myself that I’d have to come up with answers later, because as talented as Curtlik is, she’d need my help if she wanted to take down that creature. The lizard was preparing for an attack as Curtlik readied her spear, charging our foe. I wondered if she was anticipating my moves, playing off a strategy I hadn’t yet come up with myself. I decided to do what I thought she’d think I’d do, and ran to toss her my sword as she launched her spear into the bicep of the lizard.

The creature recoiled as the spear drove into his arm, sending dark blood spitting into the air. Without pause, Curlik reached out to grab the sword I threw her. Using the momentum of the sword, she spun, slashing the lizard across his chest. He hissed loud in anger and brought his club down on Curtlik, but she stayed strong against the blow. There wasn’t much I could do empty handed, so my eyes raced to find something I could use to help.

I had to be fast, Curtlik couldn’t hold off that lizard for long. She was blocking his club with her sword and jumping over his tail strikes, but who knows how long she was going to be able to keep that up. I just thought about how mad she probably is that I’m not helping. I considered just cheering her on, instead I decided to just shout “what do you want me to do?!”

“Get our stuff!” she shouted back. There was urgency in her voice. Of course, I even saw our stuff before!

I felt so embarrassed, I should have known that! “Right!” I called back. Not to let her down again, I sprinted to our items. Instinctually, my hand went to my bow. No, I can’t use that here, I thought. I can’t risk hitting Curtlik, she’s moving around so much, she might run into the arrow. It was sword time.

Running to join my partner, I waited for the lizard to swing. When it was too late for him to block my attack, I stabbed under his arm. My sword broke his skin and slid deep into his body. I twisted my handle and pushed harder. His knees buckled as his strength left his body. I thought to myself “this was easier than I thought.” Curtlik did do all the hard work, I just stabbed once.

I thought a little too soon. The creature what definitely weaker, but he wasn’t defeated. His rage now turned towards me. Swinging his club down on me, I braced myself for the attack, using my sword for defense. I don’t know how Curtlik did it. My sword was no match for the attack, and I stumbled back off balance.

He wasn’t done, and he raised the club high over his head. It was aimed right for me, and if it hit it’d break my neck. I was frozen. I knew I was fast enough to dodge the attack, but in that moment I was still shaken from the previous hit. The only thing that crossed my mind was Curtlik. She’s put with me on this quest and I die the first time we fight together? I let her down. And how the heck did she fight this thing by herself? It probably wasn’t even a minute and I was going to die.

I closed my eyes when I saw the club come down. I was like that for a few seconds before I realized that it shouldn’t take this long to get hit. It’s because I didn’t get hit at all. My eyes opened to Curtlik holding the club up with her sword. Her voice strained with her struggle, but I heard her order “go!”

I sprung into action. I was going to end this. Before the lizard had time to react, my sword slit open his left side. Furiously, I cut at his back. When he spun around to attack, I was prepared. I jumped back as he over swung, giving Cutrlik the opening she needed to end the battle. I admit the fight could have gone better, I didn’t carry my weight and definitely let Curtlik down, but I think at the end we finally got into a good system. One of us fighting while the other rests, then we switch out. I still think we’re a great team. Something was different about how she fought, I never saw it before.

I wanted to ask her about it, but I wasn’t sure. When she protected me against the lizard’s club with her sword, I knew she was struggling against his strength. All her strength was going into it. I don’t know how to explain it, but stopping a swing with so much force like that just shouldn’t be possible. There’s no way she could have stopped it like she did, let alone get there in time to stop it in the first place. She put all her strength into it, and I wanted to ask her what she did to have that much power.

I didn’t hear her cast any spell, and her hands were busy with stopping a club, so if it was magic, what kind? One that has no verbal or physical component? I’ve never heard of those. What’s more interesting to me was what happened to her when I ran around. I just caught a glimpse of it, but it stood out enough for my eyes to know it was different.

The sleeves on her armor come about mid-way down her bicep. When I looked back, I saw something growing on her arm out from under her armor. They were like veins, spider webbing out across her arm. I even saw her hair blow slightly in a breeze I knew wasn’t there. When I saw them, they just passed her armor, and I thought I saw it spread up her neck a bit too, but they were gone once the battle was over. Depending on the light, they were either a deep purple or black. What was that? I want to ask, but I also don’t know if I want to know the answer. It seemed dark. If it is, it raises more questions that it can ever answer. I guess the point is she helped me. Maybe when we get to know each other better I’ll ask.

It was getting dark when we left the dungeon, so we walked a bit and set up camp. There was this beautiful patch of grass up on a hill. I looked to the East. Haledine, our home, was back there. It was too dark to see, but I knew it was there. Turning, the desert fell into the sun on the horizon. I felt my nerves gather in my stomach thinking about the sword. It has to be well guarded, I was scared.

Thinking about my nerves reminded me that it’s been a while since we ate. I asked Curtlik if she wanted to go hunting with me for dinner, I promised her we wouldn’t get ambushed this time. She laughed, then grabbed her bow. We explored the nearby grasslands for about a half hour. I wanted to talk to her, have some conversation, but I knew we had to focus. Instead, I thought about thinks to talk about later while we ate. Thinking about conversation topics, I’m surprised any conversation I’ve had lasted more than five minutes. It’s amazing how hard it is to come up with things to talk about on the spot, I don’t know how we’ll last a whole quest let alone dinner.

We found a few birds standing tall in the grass. It wasn’t a feast, but it would do. While they were cooking over our campfire, I decided to break out my conversation starter. Yes, I only came up with one, but I was also hunting, so I think that’s pretty good.

“You don’t ever get scared, going on missions? I mean, I took out a whole goblin cave by myself once, but I still had some nerves kicking in doors.” I asked, poking at the fire with a stick I found. The question sat in the air for a while. The fire cracked at the crisp night air. I questioned if that was a good question. Did I mess up? Do partners not talk about their fears? I should have asked a cooler question. I looked up from the fire. I saw the flames dance in Curtlik’s eyes as she looked down at the burning wood. She processed the question, taking each word and feeling into account, deconstructing its meaning. I definitely messed up.

Then she smiled and let out a soft laugh. “Every time. I love it. I hope I get scared every time I go on a mission.” Her eyes left the fire and met mine. “Getting nervous means you care, it means what you’re doing matters to you. My fear reminds me to put everything I have into what I’m doing. I care, so I better do it right.”

“Why do you care?” I asked. It occurred to me how much I didn’t know about her. She has a history, things she cares about, things she loves and things she hates. What did I really know about Curtlik? She’s the most talented person I know, she’s sweet and caring, but what did I really know? I decided then that my goal for this mission was to learn everything about her.

“Haledine is my life, I owe it everything. I owe King Boridas everything. After the Great War, there were still supporters of King Galithan hiding, spreading evil.” She looked out into the distance, playing the story in her mind on the canvas of the night sky. “They came to our town one night. I was with my family, we were eating mushroom soup and singing, my father playing my favorite song on his lute. I was the perfect night. It was cool, so we kept the windows open. The first flaming arrow shot through and landed right in the kitchen. The second hit my mom. My dad told me to run to my room and hide in the closet while he helped my mom.”

The fire reflected off the tears welling in her eyes.

“It felt like I sat there for years. Whenever I would blink away my tears I would see the image of my mother die. The only thing I remember is a single scream of pain from my father. I knew in that moment that I was an orphan. If my dad died, no one else in the town could have survived. I was alone. The closet I was crouched in got hotter, our whole house was on fire. I screamed. Pleaded for anyone to save me. It was too hot to bang on the door and the smoke filling my lungs weakened my cries. The last thing I remember before passing out was a red shield with the crest of Haledine on it. King Boridas took me in, raised me and trained me. I owe him everything.”

She let out another laugh and wiped away a tear. “So I care because I can never fully repay King Boridas and Haledine for what they did, but everything I do in their service brings me closer.”

“I’m sorry.” I said. I wanted to say more. I wanted to, just give her a hug. Something more. I wanted to help, I wanted to get up right now and fight whoever I could fight. I wasn’t filled with anger, though I hated whoever shot those arrows, I was just filled with passion.

“It’s ok.” She smiled at me. I knew there wasn’t anything I could do. I admired her, I couldn’t imagine what that was like for her. “I just want to get these swords and take down King Galithan.”

“Yeah, we’ll get ‘em.” Her smile warmed, and I smiled back across the fire.

“What about you, why do you care? I saw you writing before, it that for someone?”

I appreciated her opening up, but I don’t think I was ready to open up about you just then. I told her that this was a special memory, getting to work with her and go on this adventure and that I didn’t want to forget any of it. It wasn’t entirely untrue, I don’t know what I like more, getting to spend time with her or to have the opportunity to help the King. I think she knew I was hiding something. She looked at me across the fire, her eyes shone through the top of the flames. She either didn’t care or didn’t want to press.

Maybe she knows about you? I thought there would have been stories, maybe rumors. She probably heard some mutation of the truth, she might even know more. I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about you yet, at least not to her.

She understood, and we spent the rest of the night talking about strategy for when we get to where the first sword was. Curtlik went out to scout the area after dinner, and I stayed back to watch the camp. I went to bed that night wondering what Curtlik thought of me, and how much she knew about me before we met. If I get the chance, I think I’ll open up to her more. Partners need to trust each other. I also wondered about that lizard and what he said about Galithan and the swords. Tomorrow’s a new day, tomorrow we’re getting the Earth Blade.