[https://em.wattpad.com/6211047b111710a843894b6eb672cacb19e2442b/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4866354459457038612d597646413d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539633032623166633366313264663830303132363235393731352e6a7067]
https://www.deviantart.com/cloister/art/Dungeon-level-1-level-concept-A-tunnel-278820059
New Quest Objective
- Find Amaryllis
You’ll be playing Grey Steel, a minotaur with a burning desire for vengeance against the creatures that destroyed his life.
***
His summer home empty for the most part, Colmar sat alone in the dining hall where he received tributes to contemplate the intricacies of fate and destiny. The white marble stone columns around him stretching up into the fathomless darkness, while laid out before was an immense gilded table, edged with delicate silver moldings. The table itself covered in a buffet of food with silver platters, golden goblets, and baskets filled with fruit recently plucked from the orchard. The beautiful woolen rug that it sat upon rolled all the way back to the great wooden doors of his hall.
All of it a measure of the wealth he had attained over time.
Peering at his own reflection in the golden platter before him, Colmar still saw the young warrior that had gone to war against his own people. The ceremonial plate he wore now, resting heavier on his shoulders, his fur covered in patches of grey, but in his dark eyes he still saw the same hunger and desire that had burned within him.
Thrusting the platter aside, he looked down at his hands which had seen so much blood, and wondered again how much fate and destiny had played a part in his life? Was the war against Salwin and his cohorts always bound to happen? Or could he have found some way to prevent it? Would he have even wanted to prevent it?
Salwin, Lord of the Eastern Pastures had always envied the easy, power, and wealth that had come through Colmar’s lands, had used the excuse of foreign warriors in the Land of Dreams to attack, but in the end it had all come down to fate.
It was fate that he had sent his wife, and two children to the Citadel of Pride his strongest bastion, fate that the Honor Blades had joined forces with his enemy, fate that brought a dark mage into his hands, and fate that Salwin had died without a male heir leaving his lands in Colmar’s keeping.
He had defeated them all. Ended the civil war. And yet fate it seemed had more in store for him.
Head lifted upward at the sound of heavy footsteps, he looked up to see Winter the head of his bodyguards approach. The heavy set warrior, incredibly tall with a bullish neck, and odd red eyes that hid a deep intelligence that many dismissed due to his size. The huge warrior delighting in violence with fists that could easily crush a fully grown minotaur and a massive battle axe strapped to his back, wearing an assortment of dark plate mail he had customised for his size.
“Have you found them?” asked Colmar.
Winter’s shook his head. “No, the Honor Blade is either dead or in hiding. Now might be a good idea to employ the talents of the dark one.”
Colmar released a hiss of annoyance, and leaned back in his seat. “Aalissa, is already busy dealing with other matters.”
The unspoken question in Winter’s crimson red eyes, causing Colmar to wave his arm dismissively in the air, “It’s nothing you need worry about, a few of Salwin’s lesser lordlings have begun to rumble of dissent, but our friend is already taking care of situation. For now, focus your attention on finding this so called Honor Blade, and have the Black Fist company assist you. With Blauztag dead we no longer need them to keep an eye at our back.”
Winter’s smiled darkly. “As you say. What would you like me to do when I find him?”
Mouth twisted into a cruel smile of his own, Colmar replied, “Capture him alive if you can. If not use his corpse as a message for any other Honor Blades lurking about our lands. Let them know that time of the Honor Blades has ended.”
Hands lightly touching the golden platter he’d pushed aside, Colmar, glanced back down at his reflection, seeing again the lines around his eyes. Time, and war may have marred him, but in the end he would keep the promise that he had made so long ago. He would show the Honor Blades the error of their ways, and put an end to their foul corruption.
***
Unable to stay conscious for very long, Grey fell back into a dreamless slumber, and awoke to find Sky gone, and his throat parched with thirst. The wounds he’d taken in battle throbbing at the slightest movement. (+ 120 Health Points.)
Through a dry throat he coughed, “Sky? Amaryllis?”
Hearing no reply, he fumbled gingerly with the itchy woollen blanket that he found on top of him and thrust it aside. The cool air, rubbing against his fur as he tried to stand up on wobbly feet, the wooden floorboards creaking beneath his weight as his eyes tried to adjust to the gloom. Grey’s clothing, and greatsword resting on the bedside table where the lamp had been earlier.
Groaning at the feel of the light grey fabric brushing against his wounds, Grey began to dress himself, before reaching out a hand to grab the hilt of his greatsword. The comfortable weight of his uncle’s weapon, causing a brief smile to crack his dry lips, when that same voice that had come to him during the battle on the plateau, spoke to him again. They come for you!
Head lifted upward to stare at the small wooden door of the shack, Grey moved before he realised what he was doing, hiding himself away in the piles of discarded furniture that lay strewn about the sides of the room. The door bursting open with enough force to bang open loudly as an entire troop of well armed minotaurs in polished steel plate stormed inside, their eyes flashing through the slits they had cut out in their helms as they searched the room. Grey doing his best not to squirm as he felt his injuries come into contact with the dozens of splinters that lay strewn across the floor. The shattered wooden chair that lay in front of him, allowing Grey a small view of what was happening above as he wriggled deeper into the mess of broken furniture. The weight of the wooden table on top covering his entire body.
The guards after a brief second began to rummage through the room, overturning the bed Grey had been asleep upon, and smashing open the closet in the far corner of the chamber, before freezing in place as a huge armored warrior in black plate stepped into the chamber, his scarred mouth in a perpetual state of a sneer. “Find anything?”
The guard nearest the doorway, shook his head as his bronze tipped horns dipped low in shame. Each of them too afraid to meet the minotaur’s blood red eyes. The huge warrior sweeping the room with cursory glance, before snorting angrily, spinning on his heels, and suddenly hammering a closed fist into the skull of the nearest guard. The powerful blow dropping the guard in a clatter of steel with blood dripping out from beneath his dented helm. The black armored warrior blowing past the rest to leave the room once again as the guards stared down in shocked silence. One of the men spitting into the floorboards in disgust. “Kid’s first day.”
“Probably for the best then ain’t it. At least he got a quick death. The rest of us won’t be so lucky,” said a second much older voice.
The first guard knelt down to pull off the dead minotaur’s helm, revealing the face of young mino with barely any beard or horns to speak off, the surprised look in his eyes, a telling tale of how fleeting life could be. The guard pressing a hand to his forehead. “May the light of the four suns shine down upon you, brother. And the Lightbearer cast his gaze upon you.”
His last parting words causing a stir among the other guards with the second voice Grey had heard growling and shaking his head. “You are a damn fool, Tormund, if you think the light still hears us now. Come on, Winter will want us to search the rest of the town for the Honor Blade.”
The guards picked up the body of their dead friend, and retreated back out of the chamber, leaving Grey alone again, his rapidly beating heart fit to burst as he waited a few minutes longer, before crawling his way out from beneath the table. The faint whisper through the walls catching him completely off guard. “Grey? You okay?”
Head tilted to the side in confusion, Grey whirled around, wondering if his friend had hidden himself away as well, but found no trace of him. “Sky? Where are you?”
Answered by the sound of scuffling feet, Grey watched in amazement as the nightstand was thrust back to expose a hidden underground tunnel with a stone staircase leading downward. Sky’s grimy face, peering up at him with a smile. “Found this passage, while I was waiting for you to wake up.”
“Where’s Amaryllis?”
Sky shrugged his shoulders. “She got worried you wouldn’t wake up and went to go look for a herbalist I think.”
Eyebrows furrowed in irritation, he looked back towards the patch of blood where the guard had been killed right in front of the doorway and tried to understand what had just happened. But no matter what answers he tried to come up with, nothing made any sense to him. There was simply no reason for the guards to be looking for him. And yet if they were, it could mean Myrllis was in trouble as well.
“Where does this tunnel lead?”he asked.
Sky scrubbed the back of his neck in thought. “I haven’t explored it much, but it looks like it runs pretty much beneath the whole town.”
Mind racing with possibilities of what this could mean, Grey asked, “Where is this herbalist?”
Sky quick to understand where Grey was going, smiled knowingly and nodded his head back towards the tunnel. “No idea, but I think I may have seen a map down in one of the side passages.”
But even as Grey thought to go down, he worried how much time he would lose by doing so. Any delay could cost Amaryllis her life, and yet if the guards were searching for him, wouldn’t it better to move underground where he wouldn’t be noticed.
Faced with two impossible choices, Grey felt his heart speed up.
(Click here if decide to enter the underground passage.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Almost nudging his friend in the back to get moving, Grey crouched down to grab the side of the tunnel’s exterior, and hopped down into the space left behind the cabinet. Grey turning back at the last second to tug at the metal door handle attached to the rear of the bedside table to shut it behind them. Sky muttering all the while about not being some borel to be pushed around, before leading him down a flight of stone steps. The winding staircase dark except for the cracks of light that broke through the tunnel’s entrance. The close confines of the walls giving Grey the uncomfortable feeling of being swallowed alive, an idea not helped by the scrapings sounds he heard ahead of him, and lack of light as they used the tunnel’s smooth walls to guide themselves downward. Their palms moving along the stone wall, feeling it’s moist surface.
The underground passageway gradually widenibg out into an empty cavern below with three separate tunnels supported by heavy wooden beams that suggested a former mine, it’s rusted equipment strewn across the cave floor with a trolley cart turned over its side. The train tracks leading into each of the tunnels. The cavern lit up by luminescent lights that came from the thousands of trolites that floated through the air currents. The miniscule insects usually found beneath old derelict buildings such as these to feed off the dust, which in turn caused them to glow in the dark.
Glad to be able to see again, Grey asked, “We close?”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Sky nodded his head, and walked towards the left passageway, his friend looking back over his shoulder. “Any idea why the guards were looking for you?”
Grey shook his head, his thoughts circling back to the moment the guards had burst into the shack. Till the moment the black armored figure had entered the room. Everything about it had seemed so unreal, and yet at the same time he could not help but feel that this was no simple coincidence. Something had happened to him on the battlefield, something he couldn’t explain. Something that had awoken the spirit of his uncle’s greatsword.
Of course he had heard the tales as a child, and knew many who had bonded with their weapons, but this had been different. The power he had felt. The burning light inside. All of it had reminded Grey of that moment he had wandered off alone into the woods when he was attacked by a troll hiding away in the forest. Terrified Grey had run and run, till he had tripped upon a pit dug by up hunters, the troll leaping in after him. In that split second, Grey had thought he would die, only to watch the troll burn alive in agony with flames erupting out of its carapace like body. The many dreamless nights he’d spent after that day not troubled by fear but by the raging furnace that burned within him.
Following Sky down the left passageway, Grey trod down some more stone steps, Sky’s usually chatty nature somehow dampened by the cold damp soil. The lanky minotaur making another right turn before leading Grey towards a round wooden door at the end of the tunnel.
Slowed to a stop before it, Sky threw his entire body weight against the door’s frame before it opened with a loud creak! Sky, showing Grey inside. The room stuffed full of rolled up tapestries, paintings, crates, and barrels, with a small bed that could be meant for a gnome or possibly a dwarf in the center of the room. While to his left was a desk covered in maps, books, and scrolls. The map of the underground tunnels engraved into the stony bedrock. The room brightened up by jars of trolites that were hung on the walls around him.
“Think smugglers must have used this place once to store their goods,” commented Sky, “But it looks like they have been out of business a good long while.”
Studying the dusty room, Grey had to agree with his assessment, nothing alive had moved through here recently besides Sky himself of course, but it looked like his friend had not disturbed much, except for an open crate that held empty potion bottles.
Stepping closer to get a better look at the map, Grey soon realised that at least half dozen locations were marked the map with what looked to be some kind of pictogram that was used by dwarves when delving underground. If he could just figure out what each sign meant, perhaps he could get through the tunnels much faster.
[https://em.wattpad.com/96e5f368da104ff5ee14dda08a226b06bc3e152b/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5553396d4f75347550365f474a513d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539666662633565373336386366333438323238363534363333382e706e67]
(Click here if you think the double swords represent danger, and the question mark represents unexplored tunnel.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Fingers lightly tracing a path on the map, Grey memorised every inch of it, etching it all into his memory. The tunnels many turns splitting apart and combing back together in a pattern that was almost beautiful if it were not so confusing.
Head lifted upward to go back the way they came, Grey half ran, half strode back towards the entrance, when Sky called out to him. “You, sure you want to lead, Grey? You’re not exactly light on your feet. Plus if you'll recall you did get us lost more than a few times in the forest of Minthol, and you lived there most of your life. You should let me lead.”
Grey thought about it for second, then shook his head. “No.” Amaryllis was his responsibility, not Sky’s, if anything happened to her it would be his fault for bringing her along, and his fault alone. And besides Sky may be quick on his feet, but not with his blade. If they did get into trouble, Grey was better equipped to handle it than his nimble friend. Still the tight confines of the tunnels would make any type of fighting difficult.
Shoulders squared to face anything, he exited the smuggler’s den, and climbed back up the cracked stone steps. Sky trailing close behind him with an exasperated expression as they returned to the cavern where the several passageways converged. The roughly hewn tunnel’s walls surrounded by trolites that fluttered through the air to the sweet music of the breeze. The cool underground air currents, drying the sweat on Grey’s back as he made his way along the trolley tracks towards the eastern passageway, his wounds throbbing with each motion.
The tunnel much narrower than the rest, forced Grey to slide in sideways, his shoulders and chest scraping against the jagged stone that poked at his injuries, Grey’s mind utterly focused on the task at hand, when again he heard Tamrel speak to him, danger lurks ahead. (- 30 Health Points.)
No time to turn back, he tried to ready his greatsword in one hand, and pressed on through the tight tunnel, the shaft finally expanding outward into a huge cavernous chamber littered with the chewed up bones of those who’d come before, the ground filled with dozens of sleeping forms that awoke at the sound of their footsteps.
(Due to lack of foresight, you are less prepared to face these creatures. - 5 Resilience for duration of battle.)
[https://em.wattpad.com/0729a21b7211ffd62eb01aa77239635a36656e8e/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f434f4476546738613054343663413d3d2d3731343034373536372e3135396666626338343934356363346338303835303838393939302e706e67] x 10
(Click here if think the double swords represent traps, and the question mark represents unknown danger.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Fingers lightly tracing a path on the map, Grey memorised every inch of it, etching it all into his memory. The tunnels many turns splitting apart and combing back together in a pattern that was almost beautiful if it were not so confusing.
Head lifted upward to go back the way they came, Grey half ran, half strode back towards the entrance, when Sky called out to him. “You, sure you want to lead, Grey? You’re not exactly light on your feet. Plus if you'll recall you did get us lost more than a few times in the forest of Minthol, and you lived there most of your life. You should let me lead.”
Grey thought about it for second, then shook his head. “No.” Amaryllis was his responsibility, not Sky’s, if anything happened to her it would be his fault for bringing her along, and his fault alone. And besides Sky may be quick on his feet, but not with his blade. If they did get into trouble, Grey was better equipped to handle it than his nimble friend. Still the tight confines of the tunnels would make any type of fighting difficult.
Shoulders squared to face anything, he exited the smuggler’s den, and climbed back up the cracked stone steps. Sky trailing close behind him with an exasperated expression as they returned to the cavern where the several passageways converged. The roughly hewn tunnel’s walls surrounded by trolites that fluttered through the air to the sweet music of the breeze. The cool underground air currents, drying the sweat on Grey’s back as he made his way along the trolley tracks towards the eastern passageway, his wounds throbbing with each motion.
The tunnel much narrower than the rest, forced Grey to slide in sideways, his shoulders, and chest scraping against the jagged stone that poked at his injuries, Grey’s mind utterly focused on the task at hand, when again he heard Tamrel speak to him, danger lurks ahead. (- 30 Health Points.)
Having expected this very outcome, Grey, ready with greatsword in hand, pressed on through the tunnel, the shaft finally expanding outward into a huge cavernous chamber littered with the chewed up bones of those who’d come before, the ground filled with dozens of sleeping forms that awoke at the sound of their footsteps.
(You are far more mentally, and physically, prepared for such a battle. + 5 Resilience for duration of battle.)
[https://em.wattpad.com/0729a21b7211ffd62eb01aa77239635a36656e8e/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f434f4476546738613054343663413d3d2d3731343034373536372e3135396666626338343934356363346338303835303838393939302e706e67] x 10
With Sky close on his heels behind him, Grey threw himself forward into a roll across the rocky surface and stormed forward across the center of the cavern, swerving around stalagmites, Sky gasping, and tossing his remaining knives at the mess of feral dwarves, before switching to the blade at his waist. Grey’s greatsword cleaving a bloody trail of death as feral dwarves swarmed from every direction. The nauseating stink of their foul odour causing Grey to wince and grit his teeth, when he noticed a single dwarf waiting ahead of him.
[https://em.wattpad.com/9144f8cc3774c30b64310408cbb4ece8b8baaf14/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3764665f51412d4a506d4c4b72773d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539666662633961366165653264303634353634333035373938322e706e67] x 1
Plowing through to meet the ancient dwarf, Grey narrowly avoided the sweep of it’s axe head, and backpedalled quickly, while Sky did his best to hold off the growing tide of ferals dwarfs. Grey switching from heavy stance into light stance in an instant to catch the old dwarf with a blow that sheared right through it's neck, before dragging his friend forward.
Both of them madly dashing across the rocky surface, waking more feral dwarves that bounded out from behind stalagmites, the area ahead opening up into a narrow passage. Grey growling, “Move!” His lungs squeezing tight as his legs pounded towards the gaping hole, before slowing down to allow Sky ahead of him. Grey spinning round at the last second to cut down the feral right behind him, before cleaving apart the struts that held up the tunnel’s passage, then hammered at the wall with his fists, causing the ground to shake. Grey throwing himself backwards just as the tunnel collapsed in an avalanche of stones. Sky waiting for him at the end of passageway with a awed expression. “Sometimes I forget how strong you are, Grey. Damn, but you are scary sometimes.”
Gasping for breathe only to taste dust, he lay there for a moment completely drained, the wounds he’d taken in battle cutting through him like a knife, and tried to find the will to get up. The thought of losing Amaryllis stinging him much deeper than he first realised as did the knowledge it was his fault. He should never have gone after Blauztag. It was foolish and reckless endeavor that had endangered them all.
Helped up by Sky who was still staring at him in open mouthed wonder, Grey tried to shrug off his stare and focus his mind. The tunnel they were in was carved into a square chamber with murals painted on all four sides in black ink, each of them depicting a different type of minotaur: A farmer in the field sweating beneath the four suns, a priest & priestess giving thanks to Lightbearer within the halls of a temple, and a Honor Blade with his greatsword drawn to face the darkness. Each of them posed in the work they had been assigned to in life, all except for one. A warrior kneeling down atop a hilltop with tears streaming down his cheeks as he closed his eyes in silent prayer. The face reminding Grey of his father on the day the villagers had marched upon their home, his mother pressing him tight to her chest as they waited inside the doorway, while Bright Steel confronted the crowd. The silver armor of his order, gleaming in the sunlight as he pleaded with them.
“I cannot leave. I am sworn to protect you. To protect you all, Iron Skull, please speak sense to them.” But even then Grey could see the fear in Iron Skull’s eyes as he shied away from his father’s words, the big warrior looking away in shame as the crowd hurled abuse, and bayed at his father to just leave.
Gorund, the village chief, a round portly minotaur with stout horns and wide arms from his time as a warrior, pointed thick stubby fingers at Bright. “You need to leave! Colmar, won’t send us aid unless you’re gone! Go! And take your family with you! We don’t want you here!”
“I swore--”Bright began again, but his words only seemed to fuel their ire with a hail of stones thrown to rattle against his armor, his father taking each blow as though it were his due, before three male minotaurs thrust themselves out of the crowd with drawn steel blades...
The terror Grey had felt at that moment, forever haunting his nightmares as were the tears of sadness that had dripped down his father’s cheeks at seeing his home turn against him. To realise those he had spent his life protecting no longer wanted nor needed him anymore. If not for what had happened next, Grey was certain his father would have been killed there and then, only for something much worse to happen.
Gaze drifting around the image of the warrior, Grey found his eyes drawn towards the ladder that lay hidden in the corner behind him, and felt a weak smile break out as he realised he had made it. But then that too was replaced with worry that he might be too late.
To be Continued…
(Click here if decide against going underground.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Just as Grey had decided to go down, he quickly decided against it.
Sky looked at him confusion, but Grey simply strode back towards the doorway. The humm from the blade ringing loudly in his ears in warning, but the thought of losing time, and facing unknown dangers was too much of a risk as he flung open the door, and looked back towards Sky. “Wait here.”
If he was wrong, there was no sense in leading his friend into further danger, even if Grey could have used his friend’s skills to help speak to the locals and get a better sense of the town.
The light outside streamed into Grey's eyes which hadn’t seen daylight in days temporarily blinding him. His hand moving to brush the tears that had slipped out, before looking up to see six heavily armoured guards standing there, staring at him in dumbfounded disbelief. Sky shouting at him from behind. ”Grey!”
The guards reacting to the sound of Sky’s voice as they charged forward with bared steel.
(Click here if your aim is to not kill them.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
[https://em.wattpad.com/d5b601e1f856e49e70f202aa210606e5d36d4692/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f51526b47346b55325337334367413d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539666662636439306435323633313238323139393535353931312e706e67] x 6
While less skilled than Grey, the guards proved to be an equally challenging task to disarm and knock out, before Grey retreated into the safety of the tunnel below where Sky still awaited. (+ 5 Honor)
(To continue you will need to select the underground choice as the streets are far too dangerous to move through.)
(Click here if your aim is to kill them.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
[https://em.wattpad.com/ef678ef161b06ad0b469a7761146f0d2c73317fd/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f49375a30677a37694a7a417a78513d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539666662636339383638323163653638323439393938333539322e706e67] x 6
While less skilled than he, Grey could not afford to waste time, nor risk his own life against these guards who proved to be quite a challenge to defeat, before he retreated to the safety of the underground tunnel below where Sky still waited for him. (- 5 Honor)
(To continue you will need to select the underground choice as the streets are far too dangerous.)