“Sooooo, you’re telling me, I’ve got a shot?”
“No, you stupid horn-dog, I’m telling you the exact opposite. Just sell your stuff and get yourself a nice newbie bonus and a home before it’s too late.”
“But, what if I don’t want to sell my stuff?”
“Then you’re retarded”
“We’ll just have to agree to disagree.”
Sara sighed deeply, taking a swig from one of the three mugs standing in front of her, smelling wonderfully beer-like. But of course, when Frey asked for one, he was immediately denied.
Letting out a very unladylike burp, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, head facing the ceiling as she spoke silently.
“You do know you aren’t special, right?”
“I do know I am.”
“You do know that most who’ve come here have thought like you and payed the consequences?”
“I do know others aren’t as great as I am.”
Again, she sighed, then leaned forward on her chair, pushing her elbows down on the small table between them, leaning her chin down on her hands, coming very close to Frey. Frey leaned in as-well, puckering his lips just a little.
“You’re infuriating”
“Kiss me, baby”
He whispered gently, leaning even closer before a hand mushed his face inwards and pushed him backwards, leaning dangerously back as he felt his chair going unbalanced. Flailing his arms with his voice stuck in his throat, Sara continued on as if not realizing his predicament.
“Why are you in such a hurry to die? Have you even listened to what I’ve been telling you?”
Regaining his balance, Frey blinked and then smiled big.
“Baby darling, you think I could stay focused and listen to you when your eyes are so captivating?”
Sara stared in response, looking very unimpressed, and a bit peeved. Frey continued smiling, but leaned back a little, just enough to be an arm-length away.
“Ahem. No, I’m not in a hurry to die, and I have been listening.”
“Prove it.”
She said quickly, taking a mug to her lips and leaning back. Freys smile twisted into a smug one, crossing his arms whilst also leaning back, mirroring her.
“Sure, this city is in level three of the tower of Embla, called otherwilds-paradise. And-”
“Otherworlders paradise.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s called Otherworlders paradise. But continue.”
His smug smile disappeared, replaced by an up-turned eyebrow.
“Yeah, I knew that. Uhm, anyways, all the suckers that stay here like-“
“Otherworlders.”
His smile faded, but came back with force as he stared into Sara’s neutral stare. Shaking his head, he continued on, a mischievous expression forming.
“Anyway, otherworlders stay here because facing off with the boss on this level is impossible. No one has defeated him.”
Her neutral face frowned, but she nodded for him to continue.
“The… granter? What was it again?”
“You mean the well-wisher?”
“The what now? That’s such a stupid name. I know it’s a well but I mean, come on, can’t you guys call it like, the light dweller or something? That’s such an unoriginal name.”
Raising an eyebrow, she stated calmly.
“I came up with that name.”
“And I love it. Sometimes one just got to be straight to the point, you know? I mean, how else would one remember? Originality? Who cares when practicality is where shit’s at!”
Raising an eyebrow, she gestured with her free hand for him to continue as she used her other to take another gulp of her ale, leaning back easily.
“Ahem. Yeah, anyways, the well-wisher is a well that sits in the middle of this floor, and will grant anyone one a wish a day. Though, I can’t wish for anything that could help me climb the tower, as that would be unfair, according to, god?.”
She nodded her head as she took her final gulp of ale, breathed out a musky alcohol induced breath, then said.
“The well-wisher can help you, if you're smart about it. Which I assume you won’t be. You still don’t seem to understand that you can’t defeat the boss.”
“But I won’t know until I try, right?”
She opened her mouth to respond, but stopped, looking up, then seemed to nod to herself as she looked down on him.
“Fine, if you really want to die, suit yourself. I’ve helped you the best I can. Now I won’t feel bad about it.”
Frey opened his mouth to retort, smirking at the genius joke he was about to spring on her. But was interrupted as a small bell chimed by the door, indicating a customer entering the shop. Frey and Sara turned in unison to see the newcomer, and Frey felt his smirk immediately vanish as he saw it. Saw a green, tall goblin with white canines sticking out of its mouth. Taller than the other goblins, wearing a leathery armour with colors of blue and yellow painted on it, a spear peaking up from behind her and over her shoulder.
Frey stared as if transfixed, blinking stupidly as the goblin took a step in, looked around and stopped as it saw, him.
Before Frey could react, Sara spoke up with a smile on her face?
“Gnomlet! What brings you here?”
She stood and hurried towards the goblin, whom still stared at Frey, now narrowing her eyes as she embraced Sara. Frey also standing up, albeit a little slowly, and inching his way a little closer to his own spear leaning against the wall. The goblin spoke up whilst looking at Frey.
“Hey Sara, is that the newbie?”
Sara turned and saw Frey, frowning slightly as her eyes glanced over his hand, hovering near the spear. Turning back to the goblin, her face morphed too, slightly pained, maybe even awkward. The goblin kept staring at Frey, but it seemed to have seen her face change, and frowned whilst Sara said.
“Yes.”
And the goblin took a step forward in response, stopped by Sara as she took her own step in front of the goblin, pulling its attention, saying quite harshly.
“You can’t, you know that.”
Frey using the slight distraction to grab his spear and move to hide it behind his body. The goblin speaking up as she looked back to Frey, seemingly unaware of what he did.
“I’m just gonna ask him a question. I wouldn’t be able to do anything to him anyway, you know that too.”
Sara nodded, then looked back to Frey and leaned closer to the goblin, whispering something that Frey couldn’t hear. But the goblin seemed to nod, then breath out, visibly, calming?
“Sorry, I’m just… very eager to hear the news.”
The goblin said, looking at Sara and Frey both.
“What news?”
Frey responded, raising an eyebrow as he tightened his grip around the spear. The goblin looked back down, giving Frey an uneasy smile as it said.
“What.. how you, ehm, passed the goblins?”
Frey kept silent for a second, narrowing his eyes before responding.
“What goblins?”
Both the goblin and Sara seemed to shrink in relief by his answer. The goblin opening its mouth, but Sara speaking up first.
“The ones on floor one, or level one.”
Frey kept silent, staring at the goblin, then too Sara, slowly fingering his spear as he straightened his back, slowly relaxing his shoulder as he flashed an easy smile.
“I have no idea what you guys are talking about. Don’t scare me like that.”
One brow raised in response from Sara, while the goblin took a step forward past Sara, eyes opening wide as she practically shouted.
“No goblins?!”
Frey took a short step back, sliding his foot quietly alongside the floor, keeping his spear behind him as his smile remained plastered on his face.
“Well, I’m assuming floor one is the first floor where I entered the tower. And when I was there, there were no goblins, only a wooden barricade and some metal pots hanging above the first door.”
“Really?! Are you sure?”
The goblin shouted again, this time a smile creeping up on its face, eyes glimmering as it came closer, forcing Frey to take yet another step back.
“Yeah, of course.”
The goblin jumped up to Frey and grabbed his free hand, smiling wide with canines practically poking her nose, staring up at Frey with glittering eyes, taking a rather hard hold around his hand as it started to shake it. Frey smiling back, exposing his own canine to the strong goblin.
“That’s wonderful! I mean, that’s great news! Oh, you can’t fathom how worried I’ve been.”
“Yeah, I really can’t fathom”
Frey replied quickly, smiling as the goblin let go of his hand and smiled even bigger. It’s glittering eyes seemed to burrow into his, staring at his sexy face as if devouring it. He gulped, but kept his smile up, glancing at Sara to get rescued. Sara saw and seemed to take the hint.
“Gnomlet, why don’t you go and meet him? You’ve been a wreck these past couple of days.”
The goblin turned away from Frey and towards Sara, speaking with the glee of a child.
“That’s a good idea! But I can’t, not yet. Not now that I know Gnomeo held his side of our promise. I’ll have to keep mine.”
“Uhuh, that’s very, noble of you.”
Sara said a little, uncertainly. Something that the goblin didn’t seem to pick up on as she nodded vigorously.
“Yes! Aren’t I? hihihi. See you later Sara, and you too newbie!”
The overly eager goblin said as it gave Sara a quick hug and waved at Frey, practically bolting for the door, waving at the two of them as she did. Sara and Frey waved back, Sara a little more enthusiastically than Frey.
Frey breathed out, letting go of the death-grip around his spear whilst speaking out.
“That was nerve-wracking.”
Sara turned to face him, lifting a brow while the other stayed narrow.
“First time seeing a resident?”
“No, or well, first time seeing that kind of monster. It was practically licking my face. Scary stuff.”
“Resident, don’t call her a monster.”
“Resident?”
“Yeah, she’s a resident of the tower, and she’s earned her right to be in otherworlders-paradise, just as you have.”
“It has what now?”
“She, and like you, she’s climbed the tower.”
“A monster?!”
“No, a resident. And yes… or no, yes? Kinda, it’s complicated.”
“Well shit, I thought worrying about monsters within the levels would be hard, but now they can follow me? Jeeesh.”
“No, goddammit, I said it was complicated, and stop calling her a monster! To make it simple to your bird-brain, no ENEMIES can follow you, nor residents, for that matter.”
“But you just said that they can.”
“I said it was complicated, so leave it at that. God, I’m tired as it is. Weren’t you supposed to go and fight a boss or something?”
“I was supposed to go and defeat a boss, yes. And when I’ve done it, I’ll come back for my kiss.”
“Kiss?”
“Yes, baby-madmoisell. I’ll prove to you just how special I really am, and when I do, I expect a kiss from the most beautiful girl in town.”
Her brows came back down, relaxing visibly, walking towards her counter as she leaned back on it, smirking a little as she asked.
“Most beautiful girl in town? That’s a high bar. Are you sure that’s me?”
“Of course my fair maiden, I’ve seen many beautiful women in my days, but you top them all.”
“Oooh, I do? Well, I’m sorry, I only date good-looking guys with big dicks.”
“Then you’re in luck! For I have both!”
“You lie with one, the other, I doubt. Now, why would I give a small-dicked, ugly guy a kiss for defeating a boss?”
“Because I’m fucking sexy?”
Leaning easily back on the counter, she simply raised an eyebrow in response. Frey frowned and quickly retorted.
“Okay, fine, because I’ll prove you wrong. Doesn’t the chosen one deserve a sexy sidekick?”
“I can agree to that, as-long as I get something if I’m right. A bet if you don’t know what I’m insinuating.”
“I won’t lose, so sure. What do you want baby? My body? My sexy face? A smacking too the-”
“Your chest item.”
“My what?”
“Your chest item, the chest you got on the first floor, the item inside it, your first magical item. Do you understand or do you want me to use a baby-voice?”
“Noo no.. My chest item is on the line… Sssuuure. I can accept that. I’ll accept the bet.”
“Great!”
Sara said with a smile, reaching her hand forward towards Frey. Frey took a step to reach and grabbed her hand, quickly shaking before pulling it up to his mouth for a gentle kiss.
“Madam, I shant disappoint you. I’m anticipating that kiss with trepidation.”
Lifting her head up, she stared down at Frey’s slightly bowed form through long lashes and said.
“I shant hope not. Do not disappoint me, squire.”
Frey looked up still slightly bowed, mouth slightly open as he stared in surprise up at her. She stared down with scorn on her face. Scorn morphing to a tiny smile, quickly back to scorn. And Frey smiled wide, bowing deeper whilst backing out of the store with his rump first.
Outside, he waved eagerly through the door’s window while he stared inside, seeing Sara merely shake her head with an ill hidden smile and ignoring his waving, walking around her counter and sitting down.
Leaving her to it, Frey turned around and walked with easy steps away from her store. Holding his spear like a walking cane and whistling on a tune he still did not remember. Looking too and fro as people gawked at his awesome body, keeping their distance in a show of respect, obviously.
He whistled and stared, seeing wondrous buildings, impossible houses, gigantic monuments. People with swords slimmer than feathers, and spears longer than even him. Clothes in all shapes and sizes, ethnicities from every era and corner of the, former, world. It was a blend of many things, making everything look so odd and weird. Something Frey gladly drunk in as he walked the magical city, finding it a lot more wonderful now that he didn’t have to run from a mob.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“Chris’s store of eighteen-hundreds street food”
A sign read beside him. Staring inside, he saw what he knew to be pemmican, and maybe even hard-taks, but he couldn’t really tell.
“Edvin’s store for all your shoe needs.”
The store’s sign read, seeing shoes that looked awfully awful to walk in. Too big and tall. Frey was already tall and handsome, so no thanks.
“Smithy”
A sign read uninspiringly, and Frey stood there the longest. Wondering how someone could get away with a simple “smithy” in such a fantastical city. Looking inside through the window, he could still not understand why. Simply seeing an assortment of everyday items, like small kitchen knives and forks.
Some people seemed to point at him as they saw him go past. Maybe people from the mob, maybe his reputation as a sexy man had already spread. Frey didn’t know, simply drunk it in instead. Posing for those that stared the longest, winking at them and blowing kisses to the girls.
Eventually, he noticed the city open up in what appeared to be a circle. A circle of buildings surrounding a sort of plaza with what appeared to be a fountain in the middle. Above the fountain, light seemed to float down upon it and Frey realized it for what it was.
The went-pitcher!
Frey thought, butchering its name as he quickly jogged towards the well-wisher that looked more like a fountain.
Coming closer, he noticed many people surrounding it, some walking towards it, some walking away from it. When he came nearer, the people closest to him noticed, and turned towards each other, whispering something unhearable.
Ignoring them, he went up to the edge of the deviously large fountain and stared down its blank, watery surface. Looking up, he looked from side to side, spotting even more people looking at him, giving him even fewer clues about what he was supposed to do to get his bad-wish.
Again, he ignored the stares and focused down on the fountain, thinking loudly in his head for what he wanted.
“Dildo, please give me a dildo.”
He whispered loudly, opening his eyes to stare down into the water. But nothing seemed to happen. So, he turned to the person nearest him, a man, wearing what appeared to be medieval knight armour and a knightly helmet fully covering his head with a pair of modern looking glasses atop it.
“How do I get my wish?”
“You m-mean your d-dildo?”
The glasses wearing knight asked quickly, looking genuinely curious, Frey assumed.
“Yeah? So? Are you questioning my sexuality, punk?”
The glasses wearing knight shrugged back by the sudden hostility, stammering out.
“N-n-n-noo! Sorry! I-i’m not homophobic! I w-w-was just w-w-wondering”
Freys frown quickly reformed to a big and warm smile, standing up and giving the slightly smaller knight a strong pat on his back, then leaving it hanging on his shoulder as he pulled the glasses wearing knight closer.
“Heey, don’t worry buddy! I’m not saying that either. But say, won’t you help me with this went-pitcher thing?”
“The w-went-pitcher?”
“Huuuuh? You think I’m retarded now too?”
“N-n-n-n-noooo, I’m-I’m-“
“Heeey buddyyy, don’t worry. Just tell me how to use the went-pitcher and we’ll be cool, right?”
The glassed knight quickly nodded his head, turning to the fountain as he pointed down, finger shaking slightly.
“Y-y-you just say your wish loudly, and then it will c-c-come out of the water.”
“But I just said my wish?”
The knight audible gulped, still looking down at the fountain but pulling his hand back, stammering out.
“Uhm, y-y-your wish m-m-must have given you an-an unfair… advantage?”
“You shitting me?”
“NO! I-I-I’M S-SORRY PLEASE!”
Frey let go of the glassed knight’s shoulder, saying.
“I wasn’t talking to you, ya dumbass.”
“Hh-, s-s-ssorry.”
“Geesh, thanks for the intel though. If you have anything else for me, I’ll find you, okay?”
The glassed knight flinched, then turned towards him and nodded, quickly shuffling away as his armoured body scrambled loudly as he did. Frey turned away from the glassed knight to see a small girl wearing a slightly glowing helmet and armour, more in the style of a leathered viking with tight straps and everything, staring at him, her face looking slightly, amused.
“What are you staring at, little girl?”
“I’m eighty.”
“Daamn, what do you drink? Condensed youth serum?”
He said, looking back down at the fountain’s water, shaking his head in disbelief.
Focusing on the fountain, he considered his options. Considered what to best wish for, what would help him the most, what might, if worded correctly, might give him an unfair advantage.
“A pair of titties”
Staring expectantly, he waited patiently. But as two seconds passed, he said.
“A machine gun”
But nothing came.
“A nuclear bomb.”
Nothing.
“A bottle of fluoroantimonic acid”
This time actually being patient, waiting for an entire minute before giving up with an exasperated sigh, grumbling loudly to both him and those nearby.
“Stupid fountain, it’s useless. Can’t even give me a perfectly normal A-bomb.”
He whispered in dismay, back hunched forward. Until his mind gave him an idea, and his back straightened as he said.
“One of those kobold lantern-packs.”
Suddenly seeing a change in the fountain’s water, spotting bubbles coming up impossibly from its dark bottom. More and more bubbles came until nothing could be seen but bubbles, and then, something seemed to block the bubbles. And as the bubbles quickly faded, the kobold-lantern pack emerged in its stead.
Smiling in delight, Frey plucked the pack with its lantern slightly glowing, and immediately swung it around himself and strapped it to his back, bag strapped to the pack. Surprised to find it completely dry.
With a glowing smile on his face, he looked around until his eyes met the young-old lady, staring at him with both wonder and disgust. Or maybe it was awe and dismay, or confusion and slight fear. It was hard for Frey to pinpoint what, as her face felt too youthful to contain nothing but lies.
“You know where the boss is?”
He asked her with a warm smile, holding the straps of his newly earned pack. She seemed pulled out of whatever she was thinking, taking a second to remember what he had said before responding.
“The boss? You mean the one on this floor, or the boss?”
Frey shook his head at the peculiar response, saying.
“The boss, the one and only boss. What else could be a boss but, the boss?”
“The boss could be a boss, or the boss could be the boss.”
“What? But we both know we are talking about the boss. How can there be more bosses when there is only one boss?”
“Because there is more than one boss, and depending on whom you’re asking for, it’s either the boss, or the boss.”
“Well fuck. I’m talking about the boss- er, the uh, monster boss?”
The young-old lady seemed to wise up at that, saying.
“Ooooh, that boss. Yeah, he’s just around the corner. Go past that rainbow building and you’ll see the door. Can’t miss it.”
The young-old lady said and pointed behind her. Frey followed her finger and saw, yeah, a rainbow building. Shaped like a crescent moon, painted in rainbow colours. Shaking the fabulous building out of his mind, he thanked the young-old lady and moved towards it. People shifting out of his way and whispering amongst themselves as he did, Frey basking in the attention to forget the weird conversation between him and the young-old lady.
Coming up to the rainbow building, he peeked around its corner and spotted a very modern-looking door. This time not looking too weird in the already very weird city. Walking up to the door, he opened its cold knob and ventured within.
Dim light of torches attached to a long corridor exposed themselves to Frey, giving him a moody, red-ish corridor that seemed to grow in size further down its length. Only peaking in with his head, he looked behind the door with a quick glance, then opened the door further and took his first step within.
Hearing the door close behind him, he started walking down the empty corridor, steps bouncing around loudly. Looking from left to right, he was met with little but the sight of red flickering torches, flickering too no wind. But the further he walked, the more the corridor seemed to open up, both by the sides and above by the ceiling.
As he walked further in, he realized that something was at the distance instead of the black nothing, something very familiar, and black. Coming even closer, he realized it for what it was.
A gate. The same kind of gate that he’d already passed several times now. And coming even closer, he saw that it contained the same epic painting depicting the same, gloriously and sexy Amazonian woman. But differently from the other two gates, she was now facing off with a literal giant, seemingly taking up the majority of the epic painting on the big gate.
But before he could come too close to the gate, something moved by the corner of his vision. Immediately, Frey stopped and pulled out his spear, pointing it down the now rather large corridor. He waited and stared, patiently waiting for whatever had moved.
Blinking as he saw it, a little thing no bigger than his two feet combined, crawling towards him with it’s blobby body. He could not describe what he saw, nor resemble it to any living animals from back home. What he could do was call it disgusting, off-putting and rather, demonic looking. Getting an image in his head of a million of those small buggers sliming it up over his body. Looking like a warped, deformed version of a video game slime.
Shuddering in slight disgust, he patiently waited for the blob to come towards him. Waiting very patiently as it ever so slowly moved, glided, blobbed its way towards him.
Tapping away with his foot, Frey decided to fuck it, not literally, and moved forwards himself. Quickly, he came within striking distance and tensed his body, readying himself for whatever the blob was about to do.
It did nothing.
Or rather, it did something. The something blobbing faster as it tried to gain ground quicker. Frey visibly relaxed, then struck down with his spear, easily piercing the blob and slicing to the side. Just in case, he jumped back, and readied for, anything.
Nothing happened, except for a putrid gas escaping the now deceased blobs body, spurting out a sound that sounded very much like a wet-fart, also very much smelling like one. With one hand covering his nose, Frey stuck to the wall furthest from the now dead blobby, juicy body and inched closer to the gate.
It didn’t take long to get to the gate as the blob wasn’t far from it, and he quickly pulled off his kobold-pack as he walked up to said gate, still able to smell the blob’s disgusting body. At the gate, he pushed with one hand as he held his pack with the other, the gate easily and slowly sliding open, brighter and more yellow-ish light escaping the crack of the gate, draping him in its beauty.
Opening the gate further, he peeked within. Spotting a very, very bland room that seemed smoother than a babies bottom, round in shape with lights coming from nowhere and painting the room in bright white, like a hospital room. Just a lot bigger. On the opposite side of the gate, there was another door, a security door presumably leading further up the tower.
But what stood out, was the giant with a body almost as muscular as the Greek god, albeit having a more greyish hue to his skin, standing at maybe four meters tall in the middle of the large room, staring down at Frey and his only exposed head.
Or the giant should have stared down at Frey. The way its head looked down told him as much, but the lack of any facial, things, made it a little hard to tell. No nose, no mouth, no eyes, no nothing. Only a vague outline that seemed to expose where the thing’s face should have been if the giant had had a face.
And something else disturbed him. For the giant lacked clothes.
Very slowly, uneerily slowly, his head scanned down the giant’s very muscular and manly looking body. Then sighed deeply in relief, for he did not see any monster dongs on the giant. Then did a double take as the giant really lacked a dong, but it also lacked an insertion point. The giant lacked everything.
“You poor, poor guy. I feel for you.”
Frey said in pity, then getting, for perfectly understandable reasons, no reply back in response. Instead, he pulled his head back and pushed the gate open further. Then, as it was opened enough for him to squeeze his body through, he dropped his kobold-pack in between the gate to keep it open and took a step within the large room.
“Nice place you got here. I’d decorate it a bit more myself though, but everyman got his own taste.”
Walking in slowly, almost leisurely, Frey looked around the very bland room, looking for anything that he might be able to use. Not seeing anything, he refocused his attention on the giant, having to strain his neck to look up.
Eventually, he came up to the halfway point between the door, and the giant-
“You have ent-“
“HOLY FUCK!- Geese maan, don’t scare me like that! I thought you were mute, and deaf, and blind, and... other stuff.”
Frey screamed out, interrupting the giant, whom seemed none too bothered by the disturbance, speaking up again as if nothing happened.
“You have entered my domain. You are not allowed in my domain. Leave, now.”
“Sure, I’ll leave.”
Frey said easily, taking a step forward and leaning a little to the side to peak around the giant, pointing at the modern looking door that he assumed lead further up.
“Let me leave through there.”
“No”
The giant responded easily, a bassy voice that didn’t seem to come from his mouth, but rather the entire room at the same time.
“Please? Pretty please?”
Frey pleaded, taking a step forward, two steps.
“No”
“Aw, come on, why you got to be such a buzzkill?”
He said, not sounding that fuzzed about it, taking yet another step forward.
“Leave, otherworlder.”
“But why? Can’t we have a nice conversation where I convince you to let me go past?”
“You will leave, or we shall fight, decide.”
The giant said unperturbed, standing in what appeared to be a very relaxed manner, staring down on Frey. Frey himself walking even closer, looking up more and more as he said.
“What if I choose the third option? And you know, do nothing?”
“Then you die.”
The giant responded quickly, and Frey stopped in his steps, being very close to the giant. Blinking, Frey took a deep breath in and out slowly, visually relaxing his shoulders and body.
Immediately, he pushed forward, pulling his spear into a wide arc from the side, aiming at the giant’s leg.
The giant pulled its leg back and shifted its body, dodging Frey’s attack easily. As Frey’s spear flew past air, he tried to pull back, reorientate, but felt his body dragged by the force of his own swing, exposing his side.
Something hit said side with a force strong enough to send him flying across smooth ground before smacking into the far wall, spear flying alongside its master.
Dark
Then light, Frey looked around in panic, in pain, in disarray and fear. Pushing his hand down his pants, he was met with pain and nothing. Looking why, he spotted his right arm thoroughly destroyed, ruined and mushed to smithereens. Blinking away the shock, he used his other arm, able to use it and pushed it down into his pocket. Finding only shards of broken health potion glass and tried the other pocket, finding it luckily whole. Unbottling it with a quivering hand, he successfully pushed the bottle to his lips and sloppily drank the liquid.
Coldness followed by relief. He looked around quickly as he pushed himself up on unsteady feet, spear in hand. Then saw him, it, the giant.
It stood there, perfectly still, perfectly relaxed, staring at him as it waited at the exact same spot it had stood at before. Frey blinked, flabbergasted, staring dumbly at the still giant. Shocked awake as it spoke.
“Leave or die, decide.”
Something seemed to awaken within Frey. Something primal, something truly, embarrassing.
Leaning his body forward, Frey readied himself, dropping to pick up his spear and aim it forward as he waited for the giant.
Waiting in vain as the giant simply stood there, staring at him.
“Decide, or die.”
Frey glanced over at the gate, judging the distance, then looked back at the giant. Sweat forming on his forehead as he uneasily fingered his spear, feeling it moist from his own sweat.
A second passed, a droplet fell on the floor, and Frey bolted towards the gate. Ran with a burst of speed that almost felt foreign to him. Quickly, very quickly, he came to the gate and slowed down marginally, just enough to jump over his kobold-pack without accidentally jumping right into the gates door.
As he jumped, he also reached down and grabbed his kobold-pack, feeling himself being janked back by the firmness of the gates hold on the pack and fell harshly down on the ground, but managed to pull the pack free and get himself beyond the gate.
Feeling battered and bruised, he used the arm not holding the kobold-pack to push himself up on all four, quickly turning around to look at the gate.
Slowly, the gate closed with barely a sound, and Frey breathed out. Falling like a rag doll of limbs onto the weirdly warm ground, Frey felt his heart beating far too fast in his chest.
“Shit”
He whispered, looking up at the closed gate through eyelashes. Lungs filling him with well needed air, holding a tight grip around both his spear and pack.
“SHIT!”
He yelled, pounding a fist into the warm ground of the corridor.
“SHITSHITSHITSHIT SSSSHIIIT!”
He screamed as he pounded the ground several more times, feeling it going numb, hurting like hell, easily ignoring the pain.
Stopping, he stared down at the ground, then his fist. Closing and opening it, slowly, as he stared, slowly dripping blood. Silence. Lying within a long corridor, alone, the only companion being a decomposing blob.
Remembering it, he turned towards where its body should be, seeing it just as dead as before.
“The fuck you looking at?”
He seethed through clenched teeth, slowly pushing himself up into a standing position. Putting on his kobold-pack and strapping on his bag, then walking towards the body.
“I was unlucky.”
He said to the blob of a body, staring down its disgusting little mass of flesh.
“Just unlucky”
He whispered, before walking away and back the way he came. Corridor inching smaller and smaller as he did. His posture slackening further and further, staring down on the floor as he leaned heavier and heavier on his spear, using it as if a walking stick. Thoughts heavy in his head.
Eventually, he came back to the modern-looking door, looking a little weird from the other side, and opened it.
Out and into the city, the sight of a small group met him, going quiet upon seeing him. Among them, Frey spotted the young-old lady, looking him up and down, smirking. Frey straightened his back and smiled before he walked towards the group, heading for the young-old lady.
“Wha-“
“How long?”
Frey tried to speak, but was quickly interrupted by the young-old lady. Shaking his head, he blinked in confusion at her strange question.
“How long did you last?”
Narrowing his eyes, Frey eyed the rest of the small group, noticing a very distinct interest in what he was about to say.
“What if I say I won?”
The young-old lady quirked an eyebrow, then spoke loud over her shoulder.
“Patrick, when did you see him enter?”
Frey looked behind the old-young lady, spotting the very same glasses wearing knight he’d met before at the well-wisher.
“Patrick…”
Frey seethed, and Patrick shrugged back, yet dared to stammer out.
“N-n-not that long a-ago.”
“You heard him, folks. That means he’s on the lower end of fighters, so pay up.”
The young-old, no, the granny said in a very upbeat voice, turning to the small group as a collective groan escaped out. One from the group groaning louder than the others.
“He looked so strong though, I really thought he would last longer.”
Frey looked exasperated at the group, all moving towards the old-granny, and giving her pouches upon pouches. The evil old-granny smiling all the while, checking over her shoulder at the dismayed Frey. Then winked.
Closing his fist, Frey turned towards the glasses wearing knight, or Patrick, and walked towards him. Patrick quickly noticed and backed up, but couldn’t back faster than Frey could walk, and Frey came upon him.
“Because you ratted me out, you owe me half of your winnings from the bet.”
“B-b-but, I betted on you lasting longer.”
Frey quirked up at that, blinking a little stupidly as he looked into the glassed helmet of Patrick’s knightly armour.
“Well, you owe me anyway.”
Frey said, slapping Patrick on the shoulder as he took a step past him, ignoring the small commotion where people flocked around the old-granny. Instead, he sighed and groaned out.
“I need a drink. Know any good place?”
Patrick looked at Frey with only his eyes, standing as if frozen in place beside him.
“Y-y-yeah, t-the top dog.”
“The top dog?”
“The t-top dog”
“Huh, well, give me some beer money.”
“S-some w-what?”
“You heard me. Give me my money, Lebowski!”
“B-but I d-don’t have any.”
Frey turned to look at Patrick, and Patrick shrugged back. After staring for an uncomfortable amount of time, Frey sighed and patted Patrick on the shoulder again before walking away, saying a little louder.
“I’ll come back for my money later. You better have them by then.”
And walked away, leaving a slightly shaking Patrick behind. Walking past the rainbow building and past the fountain. Walked with a destination in sight, money on his mind. Having to walk a rather far distance, but eventually, and after having walked past the very uninspiredly named “smithy”, he was upon Sara’s shop.
With the chime of a bell, Frey entered her shop and spotted her sitting comfortably on a chair, leaning back on it as she, used a knife to carve a, statue?
He couldn’t really see as Sara slowly hid the things underneath her counter and spoke up.
“Back already?”
“Yeah yeah, not you too. I’m hurt and I need a drink. Got any money?”
Sara smiled as Frey sat heavily down on a nearby chair, leaning his head back to look at the ceiling, but then closing his eyes and breathing out heavily.
“I really need a drink.”
Smiling further, Sara leaned down on her elbows and hands, almost whispering as she said.
“It didn’t go well, I assume.”
“Like shit it didn’t. Why did nobody say that- that the giant would be so hard?”
Frey practically shouted as he slammed his feet down on the ground, staring incredulously at Sara, whom still held a smile, but raised an eyebrow and remained silent.
“Okay, yes, you did. But I mean, how the fuck? How is anyone supposed to beat that?”
“You aren’t, no one is. You’re just lucky that the “giant” doesn’t harm one on ones first meeting with him. Though, if you enter again, I can promise you, you won’t come out unharmed. Or alive for that matter”
“What do you mean unharmed?! He fucking broke my entire arm and probably several things inside my body!”
Sara’s smile immediately faded.
“He did?”
“YES!”
“Then, how are you alive?”
“A health potion, duh”
“Huh, wow. You must have angered him.”
“Angered? He angered me! He’s a faceless OP giant. How am I supposed to anger him?”
“With whatever you did.”
“I don’t know what I did, I was just me.”
“Then I can understand why.”
“What do you mean?”
“Yeah, what do I mean?”
Frey sat down quickly, folding his arms around themselves and frowning deeply, looking like a spoilt child not getting their toy. He avoided Sara’s now newly formed smile, looking everywhere but her. Noticing behind her a guitar hanging, and a shelf above it with what appeared to be miniature statues. Deciding to stare at the guitar instead of the small statues, Freys frown disappeared as he asked.
“Sooooooo, about that money?”
“What about it?”
“Can I borrow some? I’m good for it, I’m just gonna grab a drink by the top dog then meet Patrick and get my money.”
Sara looked away from Frey and up at the ceiling, her smile remaining as she hummed quite beautifully, looking as if pondering a deep dilemma.
“Hmmm, I could. Though if you’d listen to me from the start, you’d be a rich man right now.”
“I would? What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s too late now. You already used your riches in a bet with me.”
“I did what?”
Sara’s smile transformed into a smirk, looking back down and drilling her eyes into his.
“You owe me your first magical item.”
“I do what?- Oooooh, oh yeah. I said that, didn’t I?”
Sara slowly nodded, smiling even bigger. Something Frey would have enjoyed if not for the ill-hidden gleam of greed within her eyes, staring at him as if staring at a pile of money.
Frey squirmed in his seat, again looking everywhere but Sara, staring especially long at the guitar hanging above her. Finding it entrancingly beautiful, carved with circles and rounded bows and patterns that looked as if a god themselves had made it.
“Hey, Lemme serenade you, my queen, with that lovely guitar. I’ve not earned the reputation of “magic fingers” for nothing.”
He said smiling, standing up and walking towards the counter to reach for the guitar with his body close to Sara. But stopped mid-reach by a gentle hand atop his forearm.
“You can do that after you give me what you owe me.”
Sara said, freezing Frey in place. He then felt his back moisten, sweating gently as he backed up.
“Yeah, uhm, about that.”
Sara’s smile immediately faded, standing up herself as she removed her hand from Frey’s forearm, to Frey’s dismay.
“If you’ve sold it, I don’t care how, but you better get it back.”
Frey chuckled uneasily, taking a step back.
“No, I didn’t sell it.”
Her posture calmed a little, sighing as she said.
“Phew, then it’s alright. If you dropped it with the giant, you don’t have to be worried about it. I can easily go fetch it. The giant is no problem as long as you leave fast enough.”
Again, Frey chuckled, but didn’t smile, couldn’t smile. Sara noticed, and her eyes bore into his. Frey moistened his lips with his tongue before speaking.
“About that item…”
Sara slowly nodded, taking a step to the side, positioning herself to easier move around the counter. Frey gulped, then said.
“I never took it.”
Blinking, Sara stared at Frey, really stared, eyes practically glowing with how intensely she stared. And Frey felt his cheeks redden slightly.
“Don’t stare, you’re making me shy.”
“You gotta be shitting me”