After gathering information in the market, Silas and Rowan decided to find a place to rest before embarking on their plan. They walked through the winding streets of Impsbane, the city slowly transitioning into the calm of night. The buzz of daytime activity faded, replaced by the warm glow of lanterns and the sounds of distant laughter from taverns.
They soon found a modest inn nestled between two larger buildings, its wooden sign swaying gently in the breeze. The inn’s name, “The Restful Sword,” was etched into the sign, the letters worn by time. The warm light spilling from the windows and the scent of roasting meat made Rowan’s stomach grumble again.
“This looks like a good place,” Silas remarked, pushing open the door.
The inn was cosy, with a low ceiling and a crackling fireplace casting dancing shadows across the room. A few patrons sat at wooden tables, quietly talking and sipping their drinks. From behind the counter, the innkeeper, a plump woman with a friendly smile, greeted them. “Evening, travellers,” she said. “Looking for a place to stay?”
Silas nodded. “Yes we are, we’ll need a room for the night.”
The innkeeper smiled and handed them a key. “That’ll be one silver grand era coin for the night. Breakfast is included.”
Silas handed over the silver coin, feeling the weight of their dwindling funds. “Thank you,” he said, taking the key.
“One silver grand era coin for a night, and even more for those Fever Figs tomorrow,” Rowan sighed, feeling the weight of their dwindling funds. “We’re spending a fortune just to rest and gather supplies.”
The following day, after a hearty breakfast, Silas and Rowan prepared to set out to collect the Fever Fig. Before leaving their room at the inn, Rowan knelt beside Goldie, his beloved bear cub. The little creature, with soft golden fur and big curious eyes, nuzzled against Rowan’s hand, sensing something amiss.
“Sorry, Goldie,” Rowan said, scratching behind the cub’s ear. “You’re staying here today. We’re going after the serpent, and it could be dangerous. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
Goldie let out a small whimper, pawing at Rowan’s leg as if pleading to come along. Silas watched on with a smile.
Rowan sighed, his face softening. “I promise I’ll bring you something nice to eat when we get back, okay? Just… don’t make a mess while we’re gone.”
Rowan gently nudged Goldie back into the room with one last affectionate pat, closing the door softly behind him. The cub let out a little huff and settled onto the bed, watching the door with a mix of longing and resignation.
Silas and Rowan then set off, making their way through the bustling streets of Impsbane. They visited several shops and herbalists around the town, inquiring about the rare Fever Fig. Their search led them to a small, dimly lit shop on the outskirts of the marketplace. The shop had an air of mystery, its shelves lined with strange herbs and potions.
The shopkeeper, a wizened old man with sharp eyes that seemed to peer into their souls, greeted them with a knowing nod. After a brief exchange, he produced a handful of dark, fragrant Fever Figs from behind the counter.
“For these,” the old man said, his voice raspy with age, “I’ll need four silver grand era coins.”
Rowan’s face twisted in frustration as he handed over the coins. “Four silver coins… That’s 400 bronze coins. With the average price of ten coins per meal, I could eat for weeks with this amount,” he grumbled, eyeing the fruit with disdain.
Silas chuckled. “You’re always thinking about your stomach.”
Rowan shot him a mock glare. “When you’re spending this much on a poisonous fruit instead of a feast, it’s hard not to.”
As they left the shop, Rowan continued to grumble. “Ten silver coins is what an average household makes in a month. We’re spending nearly half of that on fruit. This serpent better be worth it.”
Once they had the Fever Fig, they purchased a few sturdy wooden boxes from a carpenter nearby. With their supplies in hand, Silas and Rowan made their way to a secluded alley near Pine Street, the area where the serpent had last been spotted.
The alley was narrow and shadowy, flanked by tall buildings that loomed over them like silent sentinels. The ground was littered with stray leaves and the remnants of the day’s activities. Silas and Rowan found a spot at the end of the alley where they set up the wooden boxes. They carefully placed the Fever Fig inside the boxes, arranging them in a way that would allow the scent to drift through the alley.
“Alright, now we wait,” Silas said, stepping into one of the boxes and closing the lid.
Rowan followed suit, muttering under his breath about the absurdity of the plan. He shifted uncomfortably inside his box, trying to find a position that didn’t cramp his legs.
The minutes ticked by slowly as they waited silently, the alley growing darker with each passing moment. The scent of the Fever Fig was strong, even inside the boxes. Thier heartbeat quickened as a faint rustling reached their ears...
This was followed by a low, almost imperceptible hiss. Silas tensed, peeking through a small gap in his box. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the shadowy figure of a small serpent slithering into the alley.
But something was different. The serpent was not the crimson-scaled python they had expected. Instead, it was a creature of striking beauty, with scales that shimmered in shades of turquoise and teal, blending seamlessly into deep blues. Its scales were sharply defined, each catching the light in a way that made the serpent appear almost jewel-like. The serpent’s eyes, a deep, mesmerising ruby red, flickered with a cautious intelligence as it moved closer to the boxes, drawn by the scent of the Fever Fig.
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Rowan’s eyes widened as he took in the serpent’s iridescent scales. “Well… This isn’t the crimson-scaled python we expected...” he whispered, awe creeping into his voice.
Silas kept his eyes on the serpent, equally captivated by the creature’s unexpected appearance. “...Yeah, I can see that dumbass, it’s blue. But I’ve never seen anything like it… It’s beautiful.”
Watching through his own gap, Rowan held his breath as the serpent inched closer. It moved with an almost hypnotic grace, its forked tongue flicking out to taste the air.
The serpent was wary, its eyes darting around the alley as if sensing something was amiss. It paused just before the boxes, its body coiling slightly as if preparing to strike.
Silas knew they had only one chance, and the timing was crucial. He waited until the serpent was entirely inside the alley, its back to the entrance, before whispering a command to Dust.
“Now, Dust,” he murmured, his voice barely audible.
In an instant, the ground behind the serpent rumbled, and a stone wall erupted from the earth, blocking its escape route. The serpent hissed in surprise, its body tensing as it realised it was trapped.
Rowan burst out of his box, drawing his sword as he approached the serpent cautiously. “We’ve got you now,” he said, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
The serpent turned to face him, its ruby eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. It coiled tighter, ready to strike, but Silas stepped out from behind his box, positioning himself at the other side of the alley to cut off any chance of escape.
The serpent’s eyes flicked between the two of them, its movements growing more agitated as it realised there was no way out.
Now coiled and poised to strike, the serpent fixed its mesmerising ruby eyes on Silas, its dark scales shimmering ominously. Silas barely had time to react as the serpent lunged at him, fangs bared.
But Rowan was quicker. With a swift motion, he called upon his Soulweaver abilities, channelling energy into his sword. Spirit Infusion took hold, infusing his blade with his minor spirit’s essence.
The sword began to glow faintly with an ethereal light, its edges shimmering as if touched by ghostly flames. Rowan intercepted the attack as the serpent struck, his sword slicing through the air. The infused essence caused the serpent to momentarily falter, its energy disrupted by the spirit’s interference, giving Silas precious seconds to retreat.
Heart pounding, Silas called upon Spark, the elemental spirit of fire. A ball of flame ignited in his hand, burning fiercely as it grew. Silas hurled the fireball at the serpent with a fierce cry, hoping to intimidate it into submission.
But the serpent, undeterred, exhaled a chilling breath. The temperature in the alley plummeted as frost formed in the air, the icy blast extinguishing the fireball instantly. The flames were snuffed out, leaving only a cloud of mist in their wake.
“Damn it!” Silas muttered under his breath as the creature slithered closer, its intent clear—it was going to strangle him.
Thinking quickly, Silas invoked Breeze, the spirit of the air. A powerful gust whipped through the alley, creating a barrier of wind that pushed the serpent back, but only just. The creature’s strength was formidable, and it fought against the wind with surprising ferocity, determined to reach its target.
Rowan knew they couldn’t hold the serpent off forever. The creature’s resolve was relentless, and their options were dwindling. He needed to act fast. Rowan focused his energy and cast Soul Bind. This spell allowed him to temporarily tether the serpent’s soul to his own. The serpent’s movements slowed, its muscles locking up as if an invisible force had shackled it. The creature’s strength waned, its body growing sluggish as the spell took hold.
Taking advantage of the serpent’s weakened state, Rowan followed up with Minor Soul Disruption, targeting the serpent’s spirit directly. The spell sent a wave of discomfort through the creature, causing it to shudder and hesitate, its aggression fading into uncertainty. The serpent’s once fierce eyes softened, its hostility wavering as the disruption sowed confusion within its mind.
Rowan, sensing the creature’s disorientation, approached cautiously. “Easy now… We don’t want to hurt you,” he said, his voice calm and soothing.
To his and Silas’s astonishment, the serpent seemed to understand. It nodded its head slowly, the intensity in its ruby eyes dimming. The serpent shifted uncomfortably, its body twisting as if trying to convey something, but its sluggish movements made it difficult.
Rowan hesitated, watching the serpent closely. “What’s wrong?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.
The serpent squirmed again, clearly trying to communicate its discomfort. Rowan’s mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle. Then it struck him.
“This isn’t just any serpent… It’s an Icefield Serpent! Well, at least for the most part…” Rowan exclaimed, realisation dawned on him, but he wasn’t too sure, as the colour of the scales was a bit different. “And its eyes… they shouldn’t be ruby-coloured like this. Something must have caused it to mutate.”
Rowan crouched down, maintaining eye contact with the serpent. “You must be feeling uncomfortable here in Amberfell, right? Icefield serpents are native to Frosheim after all. This warm climate… it’s not where you belong.”
The serpent froze, its body stiffening as though struck by lightning. Before their eyes, its scales began to shimmer, the vibrant blues and teals slowly bleeding into deep crimsons and blacks. The sharp, jagged edges smoothed out, transforming the creature into a sleek, shadowy form, more akin to a python born of fire and darkness than ice. It resembled a crimson python now, but there were some differences in the colour of the scales.
The serpent seemed pleased with its new form, radiating a sense of contentment and comfort it hadn’t felt in a long time. It slithered closer to Rowan. Its earlier hostility was gone entirely. It nuzzled Rowan’s hand affectionately, its demeanour almost playful.
Rowan and Silas exchanged bewildered looks, equally dumbfounded by what had just happened.
“I… I think it likes you, ” Silas said, still trying to process the situation. “It’s also just as dumb as you are.”
Rowan hesitated, then chuckled, gently patting the serpent’s head. “...I think you’re right.” He then realised what Silas just said. “Hey! I’m not that dumb,” Rowan grumbled, a wry smile on his face. “At least I don’t wear a jacket on a hot day and whine about it.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be too sure.”Silas said as he watched the interaction. He then shook his head in disbelief. “Well it’s been a weird fucking trip. First I see a bear talking and now a snake that can understand humans and change its form. Damn”
Silas and Rowan exchanged a glance, the weight of the Trial pressing down on them. The mandate was clear: kill the ruby-eyed serpent. But looking at the creature now, the idea felt wrong, leaving a bitter taste in their mouths.