Village of Haldasbre - Part 2 of 2_Decide Your Fate Games - R.Malak

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New Quest Objective

- Unknown

You’ll be playing Grey Steel, a minotaur with a burning desire for vengeance against the creatures that destroyed his life.

***

Having purchased what little supplies he could, Grey collected his new belongings, and started back towards the doorway when Delana stepped out in front of his path.

“Now that your business here is concluded. We should return to, my father. I’m sure he would be delighted to have you as our guests for the night. As would I,” she said with a seductive smile, her hand moving lightly to graze Grey's arm as her sweet musk filled his nostrils. The closeness with which she stood by him, making Grey uncomfortably aware of the warmth she exuded.

Sky already nervous from being here so long, immediately shook his head from behind her, causing the young woman to turn around and smile daggers at him. The dangerous gleam in her eyes forcing Sky to take a cautious step back. While the trader who Grey had since learned was named Glydel recoiled backwards to knock over a sack of bread. The look he shot Grey, wild and full of terror.

(Click here if you accept Delana’s invitation to stay at her father's home.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

And though a part of Grey called out to him to leave this place behind, another greater part needed to know what had happened here. (+ 10 Honor.)

“I’ll be glad to,” he replied, a response that almost caused Sky to have an apolpopetic fit as he gaped at Grey in shocked horror.

Face softened into a warm smile, Delana bowed her head, clearly pleased by acceptance and gestured with a wave of her slender arm. “Very well, if you will follow me then.”

Nodding his head at the still incredulous Sky to stay close to his side, he headed back out into the cool night breeze, the stars rising past the clouds to sparkle the ground with their white luminescent light.

Delana pausing briefly to look over her shoulder before heading towards the large building near the back end of town. The two storey house made of thick stone walls with a balcony jutting out from above, and a porch out front. The area guarded by the same kind of men Grey had seen earlier by the wharf. With the priests in their white robes standing to watch to either side of the doorway staring at him with intense looks of distrust that brought a bubble of doubt creeping into the back of Grey's mind.

He wasn’t exactly sure why he needed to know? Or even why he was still here? But the worrisome thought that someone needed help bugged him, urged him to act. And judging by Sky’s growing consternation he too felt that something wasn't right here, but unlike Grey he was not interested in dying to gain this bit of knowledge. In the end, he concluded that perhaps he was simply following fate. After all fate was what had brought them here for supplies in the first place, and perhaps fate intended for him to learn what had happened to these people.

Head shaking from side to side with these odd thoughts, he watched Delana knock on the front door, saw it open with a creak, and with one last glance back at Sky's terrified expression, he walked inside. The corridor narrow with a single tapestry to the left of him. The thick fabric depicting a warrior kneeling down upon a blood soaked battlefield while shadows flickered around him.

Unable to dissuade himself from the thought that this was a bad omen, he lightly touched the hilt at his waist, and wished again that it was Tamrel. The corridor ahead opening up into a grand dining hall. The room richly furnitured with rugs, paintings, and ornate chairs that were carved to resemble the plumage of a bird. And with it a lavish feast that filled the dining room hall with a mouth watering aroma. The heavy tang of roasted hob causing Grey’s belly to growl with hunger. The food on the trestle table marked with golden runes. The chairs made of dark wood that shone in the candlelight, and silver platters filled with goblin feet glazed in spiced red sauce, the roasted hob meat coated in a thick layers of honeysuckle. All of it and more, mere decoration for the fully grown borel head that sat astride at the center of the table. It’s gaping maw stuffed full with a delicious stew that tantalised the senses. Sky’s hesitance to leave the corridor behind vanishing in an instant as he gawked around him in amazement.

Codlane who’d been quietly observing them all from the far end of the table, smiled warmly in welcome as he stood up, and held up an arm to gesture them forward. “Come, sit, and eat, my friends. This feast is for you. For too long we were afraid that the world had ceased to be, and that we were all that remained. So come feast with us. There is no need for formality here, simply eat and enjoy.” The portly figure turning to look at his daughter. “Delana, my dear, would you please fetch our guests some wine. I’m certain they must be parched from their travels.”

Bobbing her head in assent, Delana immediately moved to obey, her shoulder brushing by Grey’s chest as she left him with a seductive smile that had his heart skip a little faster.

Fist clenched to rid himself of the alluring thought, he chose to sit in the middle of the table where if worse came to worse, he would at least have some distance to draw his weapon without appearing to be too rude. Although if what Delana said was true these villagers would have consorted with novices from the temple and the armies that passed through, which again pricked his curiosity as to why either one of them would lie. But then that could simply be Codlane embellishing the tale for his sake. Still even that was too close to a lie for Grey’s comfort.

With Sky taking a seat to the left of him, Grey reached out to grab a loaf of spiced bread, when a loud wavering voice shouted from outside. “Denizens of darkness come out and reveal yourself! Come out and face your doom!” The voice causing Codlane’s piggy blue eyes to become stiff with anger as he stood up from the table abruptly and strode over towards the window. Delana, quickly moving to join his side as the two peered outside.

“In the name of the Lightbearer fight me!”

Exchanging confused glances with Sky, Grey stood up with a grunt and asked, “What is that?”

Codlane turned and slapped on a fake smile, “Nothing to worry about, my friend, it’s just some rowdy fool. Now please do sit down and eat.”

However with his appetite lost, Grey thought it would be best if he checked it out himself, after all who was better equipped to deal with this situation than he? A bunch of fishermen and priests? Or a trained warrior who’d spent the better part of his childhood learning how to wield a blade. He had to admit it was quite a bit of arrogance on his part to assume they could not defend themselves, but why take the risk?

With that heavy thought in mind, he rolled his eyes in annoyance at having his meal so interrupted, drew the sword at his waist and headed back out into the corridor before pausing to look pointedly at Sky. “Me and Sky will take care of it.”

Sky, who was all but drooling at the sight of so much food, stared up at Grey in annoyance, before releasing a heavy sigh of his own and clambering out of his seat. While Codlane raised his left arm up in alarm. “There’s no need for tha--”

But by then Grey was already striding back out through the corridor and onto the porch where he saw a small diminutive figure, no larger than a boy standing in front of Codlane's home, armed with nothing but a simple iron sword, surrounded by angry villagers carrying torches. The brown robes of the boy barely disguising an incredibly thin body as he cried out, “Stand back fiends! I shall smite ye all! By the light I will!”

But it only took a quick glance from Grey to see that the strange figure whoever he was, was frozen in place by fear and unable to move.

Chest constricting in anger at what they were doing to the poor boy, he charged forward in three quick strides to shove them all back.

“Enough!” he growled, “Can’t you see it’s just a boy! Have you no sense of honor that you would scare a child so?”

But in that moment as he thrust one of the priests back, he smelt a fetid stench in the air and was for some reason reminded of the words Halmark had spoken to him so long ago. “I could smell it on them, their stench is like a foul aroma of death.” The villagers turning to look at Grey with unnatural hungry gazes, and yellow slitted eyes that glowed beneath the star light, their naked steel blades lunging forward towards him.

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Slick and much faster than he, not to mention outnumbering him ten to one, Grey switched from balanced stance to light stance, parrying aside their stabs, while Sky put his new knives to good work cutting them down from behind with slivers of steel that sprouted out from their chests and backs. Their gurgling death cries far too monstrous to even be a part of this world, their bodies transformed into hideous creatures covered in black pustules, and flaking grey skin.

Mind churning at the disgusting sight, he raced towards the boy who stood there gaping at him, and scooped him up onto his shoulder. The sword in the young one’s grasp dropping from his numb fingers as Grey raced towards the trading outpost. Sky disappearing off into the darkness while Grey set the boy at the foot of the store. “Get inside!”

Still shaken, the boy hurriedly scrambled away, leaving Grey to take up a defensive position out in front of the doorway. Blocking only way one into the building, although he did worry about the merchant already inside. If Glydel was like these creatures out here, he would need to deal with him as well, but there was simply no time to search for another secure location.

Minotaur husks burnt away to reveal their true visage, the slimy grey creatures darted forward in threes and fours with more pouring out of the seemingly abandoned streets and homes.

Greatsword hacking them apart with powerful blows, he felt his arms begin to burn with exhaustion, his eyes searching the darkness in the hopes of finding Sky, when the creatures regrouped back and readied themselves to attack. The pile of bodies he had builtup before him barely slowing them down when an unearthly roar shattered the night sky. The creatures who’d been posed to strike at him turning to look west when a black shadow pounced through them. The grey beasts dispersing in an instant as Calain stepped out into the star light with a smile on his red lips. “I did warn you about this place!”

“Wait! You knew about these creatures?!” he sputtered back.

Calain shrugged his shoulders, wiping away the green gunk that had gotten into his hair. “I sensed something here, I just had no idea that ghouls had taken over this place. Aren’t your friends from the Citadel supposed to guard villages like these?”

Forcing himself to bite his tongue with an angry retort, Grey had to admit it was passing strange that the Honor Blades had not come. Their duty was to shield these lands from darkness and yet they allowed darkness to creep into their own domain.

Pushing aside that worrisome thought, he turned his back to check on the boy, and found her speaking inside with Glydel. The shaken pair it seemed knew it each other and the child Grey had assumed to be a boy was actually a young human girl with short wavy brown hair, hazel coloured eyes, and a pale face that hadn’t seen food in days.

“What happened to the villagers who lived here?” he asked.

Glydel squirmed and rocked from side to side. The young girl patting him on the back as she spoke, “They are all dead. Those that weren’t turned were eaten alive. I am the only one alive.”

“And Glydel?”

The girl turned and peered up at him, her brown eyes stained wet with unshed tears. “He is one of them, but I don’t know I think he’s different. Changed but not changed.”

To be continued...

(Click here if you’ve sated your curiosity and wish to leave instead.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

Not really big on the idea of lingering here any longer than he should, Grey shook his head and replied back, “Perhaps another time. My friend and I have business elsewhere.”

He then continued towards the doorway when he was again stopped by Delana, who reached out an arm to grab hold of him from behind. “Please, my father has been longing to meet guests such as yourselves for a very long time. I do not wish to see him so disappointed. Please, will you not reconsider?”

Judging by the intense look in her eyes, Grey doubted very much that she would allow him to leave if he disagreed with her again, and yet this only confirmed his suspicions that there was something else going on around here.

Inwardly wishing he had Tamrel at his back, he wondered what he should do next when a heard a loud commotion go off down the street. Their battle of wills temporarily halted for as he gently extricated her hand from his arm and exited the store where he saw a small diminutive figure dart out from a nearby building and charge off towards the large stone house at the center of town. The boy chased by dozens of armed villagers as he ran across the streets screaming something unintelligible.

Worried the child may be in more trouble than he realized, Grey started towards him when again Delana tried to grab hold of his shoulder from behind and in that brief instant Grey thought he smelled a wave of foulness come from her and was reminded of the words Halmark’s had spoken to him so long ago. “I could smell it on them, their stench is like a foul aroma of death.”

Whirling round to confront her, Grey drew his sword and watched horror struck as her eyes became yellowed slits that glowed in the star light. Her hiss of rage almost animalistic as she bounded off on all fours into the swirling darkness. Sky’s gasp of fear mimicked by the trader who sat huddled at the back crying.

No time to check on them or even think about what he’d seen, he raced off after the creature into the inky black darkness, the stone streets lit up by the White Star that blazed above, the young boy he’d seen not too long ago surrounded by an angry mob, carrying torches and steel. His brown robes barely disguising an incredibly thin body as he cried out, “Stand back fiends! I shall smite ye all! By the light I will!”

But it only took a quick glance from Grey to see that the strange figure whoever it was, was frozen in place by fear as the villagers advanced upon him.

Chest constricting in anger at what they were doing to the poor boy, he bounded forward across the streets, and out in front of the two storey building where he began shoving them back with snarl of disgust, “Enough!” he growled, “Can’t you see it’s just a boy! Have any of you no sense of honor that you would scare a child so?!”

But in that moment as Grey pushed one of the priests aside, he again smelt the fetid stench of death. The villagers turning to look at Grey with hungry gazes that barely looked human anymore. Their drawn blades lunging towards him.

Slicker, and faster than he, not to mention outnumbering him ten to one, Grey switched from balanced stance to light stance, parrying aside their attacks, while Sky put his new knives to good use cutting them down from behind.Their bubbling death cries too monstrous to even be a part of this world as they collapsed onto the streets, their bodies transformed into hideous creatures covered in black pustules, their flaking husks dying away to expose grey flesh beneath.

Mind churning at what this could mean, he raced towards the boy who stood there gaping at them, and hauled him up onto his shoulder. The sword in the boy’s grasp dropping from his numb fingers as Grey raced towards the trading outpost. Sky disappearing off into the darkness, while Grey dropped the boy at the foot of the store. “Get inside!”

Still shaken, the boy hurriedly scrambled away as Grey took up a defensive position out in front of the doorway, blocking the only way into the building. Here Grey could safely guard the entry without being flanked, although he did worry about the merchant already inside. If Glydel was like these creatures, Grey would need to deal with him as well, but there was simply no time to search for another secure location.

Minotaur husks burnt away to reveal their true forms, the slimy grey creatures darted forward in threes and fours with more pouring out of seemingly abandoned homes and from every street corner.

Arms burning from the exertion, he searched the darkness in the hopes of finding Sky as the creatures regrouped away from him ready to attack again, the pile of bodies he’d stacked around him barely slowing them down when an unearthly roar shattered the night sky. The creatures who’d been posed to strike turned to look east when a black shadow pounced through them. The grey beasts dispersing in an instant as Calain stepped out into the street light with a smile on his red lips. “I did warn you about this place!”

“Wait! You knew about these creatures?!”

Calain shrugged his shoulders, wiping away the green gunk that had gotten into his long black hair. “I sensed something here, I just had no idea that ghouls had taken over the town. Aren’t your friends from the Citadel supposed to protect villages like these?”

Forcing himself to bite his tongue as anger flashed through him, Grey had to admit the truth stung. The Honor Blades duty was to shield these lands from darkness and yet they allowed darkness to creep into their own domain.

Pushing aside that worrisome thought, he turned to check on the boy, and found her speaking to Glydel. The shaken pair it seemed knew it each other and the child Grey had assumed to be a boy was actually a young human girl with short wavy brown hair, hazel coloured eyes, and a pale face that hadn’t seen food in days.

“What happened to the villagers who lived here?” asked Grey.

Glydel squirmed and rocked from side to side. The young girl patting him on the back as she spoke, “They are all dead. Those that weren’t turned were eaten alive. I, alone managed to escape.”

“And Glydel?”

The girl turned and peered up at him, her brown eyes stained wet with unshed tears. “He is one of them, but I don’t know, I think he’s different. Changed but not changed.”

To be continued...

Village of Haldasbre - Part 2 of 2

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