City of thieves - Narrators pov:
Winter's cold wind has come to the overworld! The mana in the air shifting as rain turns to snow.
The tiniest of brees penetrating through the cracks and holes of the poorly maintained houses. As crackling fireplaces expells the cold from within the homes.
On the snow-filled ground lith up by the yellow light, a single pair of footsteps could be seen as a man tracks through the snow.
Covering himself in a thick layer of fur, his cheeks, and nose; a rosy red from the freezing cold.
The man exhausted from the journey reached a large residence, surrounded by a stone wall. The man entered through the main gate and closed it after himself. After walking through the garden path, not much better maintained than the rest of the town, he finds himself in front of the door to the residence.
As the man was about to reach for the door, it instead opened by itself. As a man dressed in a penguin style black suit greets him from inside.
"Aaa! master Benedict on time as usual. Any good news?" [Butler]
"No! Now let me through!" [Benedict] the man said with annoyances in his voice.
"As you wish, master Benedict!" [Butler] the butler complied.
The butler took a step aside as the master of the house took steady steps towards the only room with a lith fire.
As he reached the house small library, a crackling steel stove greeted him. He closed into the stove as close as he dared, to feel the most of the radiating heat, warming his boy.
Removing his pelt he hangs it over a red armchair close to the stove. ruffling his damp, fair hair and rubbing his two hands together in front of the fire to speed things up.
As the blond man was refueling the fire with a log, a faint aroma of roasted beans filled the air.
The butler called out;
"Coffee to warm the core master Benedict?" [Butler]
With a tray in hand carrying a pot and a cup, the butler put the tray on a nightstand next to the red armchair. Then he poured the coffee into the cup, one teaspoon of sugar and stirred.
Receiving the cup from the butler the blond man took a sip, perfection! Neither too hot nor too cold, it easily went down to his core heating up his body.
"You have outdone yourself, Ferguson!" [Benedict]
"Might that perhaps be a godsend for raise in pay Master Benedict?" [Ferguson]
"Ha! Not even the gods might sway me when it comes to money!" [Benedict]
"As you say, Master Benedict." [Ferguson]
The two of them stood there by the stove for a while heating themselves up. Staring into the flames through the open hatch. As if consciously consumed by the dancing flame until the fire snap on the logs.
The blond man exasperated!
"It's safe to say that Mat is dead, he is of no use as ransom and he is not stupid enough to stay away. But the problem is the others, during this month I have heard no rumors of weight."
"Then do you reason that they all perished?" [Ferguson]
"No! Opposite, staying low. Holding onto the loot until they are in the clear. Selling and keeping the profits for themselves." [Benedict] He paused as he turned around to warm his buttcheeks.
Then he retrieved something from his fur's inner pocket.
"Plan B Ferguson! Deliver this to the guild, I would have liked to not involve them. But! good help is in short demand these days." [Benedict]
"As you wish Master Benedict!" [Ferguson]
The butler received the letter and took his leave. Leaving the master of the house alone to heat himself. The man took a sip of his coffee as he lost himself again in the flames.
----------------------------------------
Dead Lands - Narrators Pov:
Miles from civilization laid a barren land where only the undead could survive the day. Krack plains as far as the eyes could see. The sun burning hot! Intaicing hallucinations and dehydration. Even though it was the season of the freeze, it changed nothing here.
Inhabited by no animals nor beasts, this was not a hospitable land. Yet, there was still creatures prowling it during the night.
Monsters!
Creatures of the dark. If not the innumerable undead traversing the plains gets the taste of flesh, then the creatures who hunt in the night would surely come for their piece!
No sane sentient-being would cross into the Dead-lands, yet sometimes by fates mysterious hands sentient-beings still find themselves stranded, in this hostile land.
On the cracked dirt -dried by the scorching heat of the sun- laid two such stranded peoples. Their gear was roughened up, dried blood covered their clothes and both laid there unconscious. As a looming shadow was cast over them.
----------------------------------------
The female rogue woke up by the merry tunes of whistling.
'Jenkins...? Ugh! My head!...' [Jenn]
Rising up she finds her self has been laying down on a larger than usual bed. Looking around she finds herself in a bedroom inside of a handmade dirt hut. The smell of flowers was obvious in the air, as several beautiful plants decorated the sealing hanging in crude pots. The rooms interior was equally unusually large as if the hut was made for a large individual.
The whistling had not stopped and as she looked in the direction of the sound she sees a door slightly cracked open as light and a big shadow seeps through.
The shadow seemingly jiggling back and forth.
Reaching for her dagger she panics as the holster is empty, but soon notice her dagger by a table.
'Curious...' [Jenn]
Retrieving her dagger she then [Sneak]'s up to the gap in the door. Closing in, she looks through the crack to see a large figure, a creature she has only seen in the head capital before this day!
This large, bipedal green-skinned giant was about one and a half times as tall as a human and very thick. It has long, thick and ungainly arms and legs. The legs end in great three-toed feet, the arms in wide, powerful hands with sharpened short claws. Its hide rubbery and its hair is thick and ropy and seems to writhe with its own energy.
A green troll!
Taken aback for a second the Rogue tightened her grip on her dagger, looking around more with the little view she got through the crack. what she saw was; a firepit, a boiling pot, a dancing & whistling troll and...
'Enrik!?' [Jenn]
...Her male associate laying unconscious on a log bench next to the firepit and pot. The stories of trolls resurfaced in her mind. Man-eaters, flesh rippers, bone-crunchers, monsters!
Bursting through the door the Rough barely reached a meter before she collapsed on the floor, her body not reacting to hear heads commands. Just now noticing, that her body was covered in bandages.
"!!" [???]
"Hey! You okay boss?" [Enrik]
Looking up she sees her male associate standing above her, also covered in bandages. Staring at her associate for a while, she slowly made hand signs to ask:
'What is going on?" [Jenn]
"Nothing to worry about, boss, But I think you scared our host!" [Enrik] turning his head to look at something.
Following his gaze, the rogue sees the Troll hiding behind a big handmade treestump-chair holding a cooking label with both hands in an attempt to cover his face.
'Host?" [Jenn]
"Emm well, I will explain." [Enrik]
She gets assistance off the floor and takes a seat on the log bench. By instinct, she took note of the room. It was larger than the last one and had a hole in the middle of the roof for the smoke to exit. This room also used its roof for decorations. But instead of pots and plants, there was herbs and vegetables, even some bread hung in a basket.
The rogue braced for the most profound story she had yet to hear. Taking a peak towards the Troll still crouching behind the furniture. She pondered as to why her expectation of a Troll had been so off... Looking eyes with her associate, who had retrieved a wooden bowl and scooped up something from the cauldron. Tacking a deep breath, he handed the rogue the bowl of vegetable stew.
"He's a herbivore!" [Enrik]
Stunned, the rogue burst out in outrageousness, forgetting here vow of silence.
"WHAT!? that's just-" [Jenn] Remembering herself in the last second as she did.
"Ha! First time I have ever heard you talk, I think I like it!" [Enrik] he said with an awful smile.
'Dream on geezer!" [Jenn] she added a middle finger in the prosses, just to clarify.
*urm ur urm urm urm!?* [Troll] the Troll yelped.
"Hey, hey, fella It's okay!" [Enrik]
'Damn what you are courteous! I think I found a new side of you!'"[Jenn]
"Don't be daft! That is still a Troll!" [Enrik]
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
'Noted!" [Jenn]
Turning his full attention to the Troll the Assassin started to imitate the sounds of the Troll. Yelping and grunting, after a while, the Troll answered with a flare of his nostrils as he stood up tall. Towering around fourteen feet, wide-bellied with hair reaching down to his knees. His beard braided in several fashions reminding one of the ruff men from the frozen lands.
'You speak Troll?" [Jenn]
"A little yes, picked it from a troll tamer when I was traveling with a circus. Though most of this is just portraying emotions!" [Enrik]
The ground started to shake so lightly as the Troll decided to move closer to the two. The Rough reflexively pulled back ready to draw her dagger. But the Assasin intervened stopping the big troll with his hands in the air and grunting.
The troll stopped, putting a finger to his mouth.
"Meg nom Moby, ven!" [Moby]
'Wait!? that's not Troll! even think I got that." [Jenn]
"Isn't that giant speech?" [Enrik]
----------------------------------------
After the duo had been forcefully teleported from the dungeon they had landed in the Dead-Lands. They were stricken with mana sickness from the spells toll and were unable to move, luckily there had been an observer of their arrival as a blinding blue light had emerged on his horizon.
He was the sol free Troll of his kind living in a spares forest hidden somewhere inside of the dead-lands. A forest oasis, energized by the rich nature mana flowing through the ground. As if a green island of life surrounded by dead ocean.
Even though the Troll lived a safe and secluded life in the forest he still took that step outside into the scorching heat. Was it because of curiosity or was it loneliness? The Troll had lost track of the reason even before he took that first step.
After traveling for three days, with only a giant leaf taken from the father tree to protect him from the sun. He finds two humans laying unconscious on the ground their bodies burnt by the sun one of them barely breathing.
Heaving them onto his broad shoulder the troll took the two back to his home.
----------------------------------------
'Are you sure you're translating correctly?" [Jenn] hand-signed as she finished up the last of the vegetable stew in the bowl, she had been famished.
"Tich!" The assassin clicked his tongue as he scratched the back of his head "And yea, sometime after that I woke up. It was a mess, I was about to go for his throat when he suddenly ran away hiding!" [Enrik]
'If this is a Troll then even Brute is a better version... Was...!" [Jenn] the rogue clenched her fist as pain filled her chest.
The rogue thought she was over this, had she not seen them all come and go? Her parent's, her teacher, partners in crime, even those lowly lives she had ended with her own hands. Yet she still could not hold in this feeling. They where... dead! Jenkins, Mat, Jannis...
"Brother..." [Jenn]
"Did you-..." [Enrik]
The assassin stumped turned his head away and hurridly acquires something from his pocket.
"It's a little dirty but you can keep it!" [Enrik]
Stretching his arm to give the item to her, as seconds pass by.
"Are you too proud to accept such a dirty rag or something? just take it already!" [Enrik]
Turning his head around again he finds his female associate red-faced, teary-eyed as she grabs onto the napkin covering her mouth and nose.
"Thank you!" [Jenn]
Frozen for a second the assassin hurridly coughs.
"You must be fatigued, a lot has happened, you should go get some rest..." [Enrik]
'I think my black heart just skipped a beat! Arrgh what am I thinking!!!' [Enrik]
'Yea you are probably right!" [Jenn]
Leaving the room, the rogue entered the bedroom again. Leaving the two males in the kitchen.
*ur ur urrr?* [Moby]
"WHAT! I'm not red!!" [Enrik]
*ur urur ah!* [Moby]
"You're going to do what!? You two are not even the same species!" [Enrik]
*uru jerp jerp* [Moby]
The assassin started to hysterically laugh.
"aha... aha ha... aha ha ha ha! Fine, this day can't get any weirder! If she accepts to marry you then I will be your best-Troll? But if she slits your throat then your tusks are mine!" [Enrik]
*Eek! Ur urur ah! Na-a!* [Moby]
"Suit yourself." [Enrik] said as he shrugs.
----------------------------------------
The next day. As the sun just barely reached the treetops the rogue had woken up.
Huffing in annoyance of the lingering pain from her burnt skin.
She had taken a quick look at it under her bandages yesterday. Her skin had been sunburnt red and even in some part, gray as dead skin was falling off.
Her body was stiff from laying down all day, an unknown feeling for her as she is usually flexible and limber.
Deciding that she at least could do something about this the rogue decided to get some light exercise in before supper.
Entering the kitchen loud snores could audible be heard as she exited the hut.
As soon as she was out the rogue breath was taken away by the pure beauty of this forest. It was like her eyes had recently been cleaned spotless.
The light seeping through the treetops, spreading light rays throughout the forest. As a mystical glimmer falls by their sides. As a colorful wave of green, brown and blue dominated the forest.
If the rogue didn't know any better she would think it was summer. But summer already passed before her group's journey started.
Turning around the hut she had exited was no less beautiful. A three-room dirt hut. Whereas the third room could be more described as a tower. Probably with a staircase leading up underneath. By the broad side of the kitchen was a garden filled with plant life and vegetable. Vines where climbing the house outer wall, all the way up to the straw roof.
It was as if taken out of those fairytales her mother had used to read to her as a kid.
After taking it all in she decided to take a stroll in this magical place. After just under five minutes she encountered an animal. A small deer which oddly enough did not shy away emidiatly from her presence.
After walking a few more minutes she started hearing whistling noises between the threes following the sound she found herself at the edge of a glade and inside on a large fallen tree sat the Troll named Moby.
She noticed that she had heard it wrong and it was a flute wich the sweet melody was coming from.
The tunes hung lightly in the air as an audience of animals surrounded the troll. Deers, Boars, Squeals, Horses, Bears and Birds, some wich even sat atop the Troll.
The Rough contemplate her knowledge about trolls;
'Thin in mass, with long limbs. In the Capital, the trolls are the property of the king and serve as beasts of burden or as war fodder...Very potent, man-eating fodder.
They have an innate skill thanks to their big noses called; [keen smell] which makes them very hard to sneak up upon. But it also is a double edge sword as smells are very intense to them and such things as sweet smelling flowers sting their nose and agitate them. A good indication of a Troll's nest is the lack of flora in the area!...' [Jenn]
Looking around there was plenty of flora and fauna and this troll didn't seem to be bothered by it as he played his flute.
'Flowers are also baned in close proximity to a troll, for the very reason that they might go into a rage. Yet this Troll does not seem to be affected by it...' [Jenn]
After enjoying the surprisingly pleasing music in secrecy for a while the Rough decided to continue her walk.
'...maybe captivity makes them different? Though what is a real Troll and what is not?' [Jenn]
Her thought prosses was disturbed as she started hearing the music of the flute become louder instead of subsiding as she got further away. Somehow she had got turned around, back to the glade. Not thinking too much about it she walked away from the glade to yet again be turned around. Trying a third time the same pattern repeated.
The Rough knowledge about magic was advanced enough for her to understand that something was amiss. Probably an [illusion barrier] was set up. Elvis magick witch disorientates anyone setting a foot inside and usually turning them away.
Realizing that she could do nothing about it she decided to take another path.
This time the Rough didn't get turned around. Instead, she reached a water hole with an ideal waterfall on top of a small cliffside.
Smelling here self she noted that a bath would do her well.
Slipping out of her bulky gear she hung them up on a branch as she carefully removed the bandages covering her body letting them fall onto the ground.
Standing there in the nude, she dipped a toe into the water. A little cold but nothing she isn't used to.
Taking a steep in her foot quickly reached the lakes shallow bottom as the water reached almost her knees. Looking into her reflection she tried to remember the last time she had seen it. Wearing full cover all the time she rarely got to look at her self.
Short brown hair and a finely sculpted face. Her body slim, her womanly shapes as well with a hint of muscles. She snickered a bit as she thought herself looking like a water nymph.
The nude Rough threaded through the water over to the waterfall.
Feeling the water.
The waterfalls hight was somewhere around thirteen feet tall and not much pressure came from the water falling down.
She took a step under the waterfall as the cold water engulfed here body streaming down her modest shape.
Carefully scrubbing dirt off with her hands, as her hand trailed along her slender arm and body. The cold water feeling pleasant on her burnt skin.
she stood there for several minutes, caring for her body until her skin on her fingers started to wrinkle and she decided it was well enough and took a step out. Winding her hair to get most of the moisture out of it. As water dripped down her smooth skin.
As she stepped out of the water, she notices her cloth not hanging on the branch she left them. Instead, a pair of folded cloths where laying on top of a somewhat flat rock.
Spooked the rogue quickly took in her surroundings, as she grabbed one of the folded bundles. When she noted noting of immediate attention, she quickly equipped the first item which was her frilly white blouse. Her bottom still breezy, she looked around a second time as she pulled the blouse down for cover. Grabbed her pants she stumbled a bit as she put in the second leg.
After equipping the rest of the items; the shoes, belt, arm guards and leather armor. She finally equipped her cloak.
During this time she had not let her guard down, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.
'If I find out it's that old geezer I will feed him to the troll! Herbivore or not!' [Jenn] she thought as she stormed back to the trolls hut.
----------------------------------------
Town of Rural - Adventurers PoV:
Drowsily I looked at the posted quest on the board. Four coppers, what a measly pay!
Looking over the board all the good quests had already been ripped off. Left was only heavy labor jobs with few coins as a reward or big quest which have been sitting for weeks waiting to be undertaken. Non-wich, unfortunately, matched my party's current strength.
That's when I overheard the receptionist receive a new quest from a man wearing a penguin style suit. A butler, probably sent by his housemaster. He was covered in all black, whereas the inside padding was white combined with a light gray vest. His face looked rough and worn, his age probably around his forties. Couldn't say much about his hair as most of it is missing, forming a U ring around his head.
'I really hope I won't lose my hair like that as I grow older!' [Adventurer]
After noting down the information on a piece of parchment, the receptionist received a letter and a purse of coins as the butler takes his leave. At least one-quarter of the content was going to the guild, the rest would go to the adventurer party completing the quest.
By my estimate, there should be enough room for a few silvers in that purse. So without further ado, I approached the receptionist.
"Welcome to the Rural Adventure branch. How may I be of assistance?" [Receptionist]
"Yes, I would like to take a look at the quest you just received!" [Adventurer]
"The rules state: You have to wait until the quest is up on the board." [Receptionist]
"Oh, I see, sorry for bothering you!" [Adventurer]
Waiting for a few minutes soon enough the new quest was up on the board. As soon as I saw what the quest inticed my drowsy eyes lit up as I ripped the quest of the board, informed the receptionist that my party and I would undertake it. Then I went to the Dillo Tavern where I would meet up the rest of my party.
----------------------------------------
A few days later: Forest of Uur - Narrators Pov:
"Cherry, how many spells you got today?" [Party leader]
"Enough resources for five today, also brought along several cantrips." [Cherry] the Wizard answered, patting her book.
Spells are arranged into tiers according to how powerful they are whereas Cantrips counts as tier zero spells, the weakest but also easiest spell to use for any magick caster.
Most cantrips are simple little spells of no great effect. So knowledge and information pertaining to these small magics are discarded in favor of the more powerful spells when available.
Name: Cherry Rank: 7 Class: Wizard Apprentice Secondary Class: Non Species: Gnome Adventurer Rank: F
The female Gnome apprentice was a half pint. She has medium length purple hair with two pointed ears poking out the back. She wears a beige standard mages robe and holds here spellbook close to her person.
"Will?" [Party leader]
"I don't even know why I'm here, couldn't I just have stayed at the tavern?" [Will] complained as he stumbled through the underbrush and snow.
"Don't be a downer Will: When on a quest, always double check! That's how a party survives." [Party Leader]
Grumbling the rogue looked through his gear.
"Standard Crossbow, ten bolts! Fifteen Throwing daggers, two smoke bombs, rope, one grappling hook and a bag with ten grams dust of appearance. I don't even know if I trust that vendor. Feels less!" [Will]
Name: Will Rank: 7 Class: Rogue Secondary Class: Non Species: Hafling Adventurer Rank: F
The Halfling rough was equally short to the Gnome and was commonly mistaken for a beardless Dwarf. His hair was brown and curly he wore leather armor and carried a bag with a crossbow strapped to it.
"Penelope how about you?" [Party Leader]
"I, um... I have tree blessings and two potions." [Penelope]
Name: Penelope Rank: 5 Class: Priestess Secondary Class: Non Species: Human Adventurer Rank: F
The priestess was a fair maiden with long golden hair, she was dressed in ceremonial white robes tailored with blue outlines. Holding an alabaster staff, on the top section was a hand-carved angel: The angel portrayed holding a jar of water which it pours downwards.
"Okay, good! I have myself a medic kit and my trusted ring male armor!" [Party leader]
Name: Eugene Rank: 10 Class: Warrior Secondary Class: Tank Species: Half-orc Adventurer Rank: E
The half-orc had a strong build towering over even the human priestess in hight. His hair was the color of coal, his skin brown. As a half-Ork, he still looked mostly human except for a nose which resembles a pigs snout and two small tusks which had grown in his lower jaw. He's donned in a ring male armor and has a heavy Mace at his side.
The four adventurers had traversed through the wood for a while. The two taller had taken the lead creating a path for their two shorter members of the group. Both the Gnome and the Halfling was around the size of kids. But what the two lacked in height they compensated in skills. The Gnome with the deep lineage of intelligence and the Halfling with tuned agility, though unused at the moment.
The party had been combing through the forest for a while now. Searching for snowberries only found during the season of the freeze. They were hard to find but the reward was worth the trouble. They had unfortunately not found any so far and no wonder since the snowberry-bush only grew a few centimeters in the snow. Hard to spot in the snow because of it's white leaves and icy-blue berries and its tendency to wither immediately as the snow thaws.
The reward for one of these bushes was twenty copper which in turn was the total of two silvers. Just finding one of the bushes would set up an adventurer group of four with enough money for one day.
"Okay, Ladies time for some rest!" [Eugene] said as he started looking for some dry wood.
"Ha ha! Funny as usual" [Will]
"Um, I can go a little longer!" [Penelope]
"Well, I can't! *Phew!*" [Cherry]
"Well then, after Will has had time to rest you and him can set out ahead of us. Both Cherry and me will need a longer rest to recover our stamina." [Eugeen]
"I don't need the rest either!" [Will]
"Well then, by all means, keep searching. But search in close proximity just in case!" [Eugene]
"Yes, yes!" [Will]
"Um, a pleasure to be working with you Will" [Penelope]
"Relax newbie! It's not like we are dungeon diving!" [Will]
Snooped the wizard apprentice asked;
"I thought Eugene was the only E-Rank here?" [Cherry]
"I am, but Will has experience. Why else do you think I brought a whiny Halfling-rogue with us? Oh, and Cherry; could you light these please?" [Eugene]
"Hey, I heard that!" [Will] but was ignored.
"Sure! [Fire bolt]" [Cherry] using one of her Cantrips she lit the pile of wood seemingly effortlessly.
As the fire lith, the heat radiated started to taw the snow in the closest proximity creating steam.
As the wizard and tank took out some provision and rested the two other -the rogue and priestess- continued one ahead to search for the elusive snowberries.
"So tell me; why a party leader?" [Cherry]
"Hm?" [Eugene]
"Well, what I mean is: As an E-rank you could join D-rank parties and make a better living. Right?" [Cherry]
"A druid can do my job and more. A tank is not as valuable a class as you might think for a party." [Eugene]
"Oh! So why did you pick it?" [Cherry]
"*snort* Pick it? ha! I'm an Half-Orc strength and constitution is the only thing I know! Why did you pick yours?" [Eugene]
"Why I picked to become a wizard's apprentice?" [Cherry]
She pondered on the question.
"Because I have a lot of magic potentials?" [Cherry]
"Like the rest of the Gnomes race?" [Eugene]
Silence fell for a while as only the scraping of bowls with food could be heard... The gnome seemed to be thinking about something hard as her face contorted making her resemble a wrinkled old grandma.
"I think I see your point... We are not the one choosing the class but it who chooses us... or something like that?" [Cherry]
"I think you're overthinking it, no smart orcs here! *snort* Ha, ha!" [Eugene]
Cherry started to joyfully snicker at the last comment.
"Hmmm, I wonder how it's going for Will and Penelope." [Cherry]
"I guess we will find out soon enough." [Eugene]