Sungar, the South-Eastern Coast, an island. A short distance from the coast of the Peninsula, south of Iwatoro. Midday.
Here stands Qurin -- A Tamani from the Central Grazelands. Waves lap against the sandy beach they stand upon, brushing up against the rowboat they had used to reach the island. Their massive blade, Incisura, is strapped to the aged fighter's back. The sun glints against their worn but well-kept scale armor. In their hands is a map, with the island they stand upon now circled in red ink. Clearly, they have met their destination.
He is Tamani, one of the palefolk. Tall and slender, and the first people to walk the land. Their skin burns in sunlight, and so all of them must wrap themselves from head to toe. From simple linen to noble silk to rugged bandages, all Tamani must hide from the sun, and their skin has paled to a near-white. All that most folks ever see are their eyes, which peek out from a small slit in their wrappings. Qurin squints, his red eyes scanning around for danger. Rather than a helmet, Qurin wears a full-face brass mask, statuesque and noble in design, with holes for his eyes to see through.
Cursed not only to retreat from the sun, Tamani are cursed with short lives, aging at double the speed of humans. Although he is only in his thirties, Qurin is the equivalent of an aging man. If one were to unwrap Qurin, the first thing they would see are all the deep wrinkles and scars crisscrossing his skin. The second thing they would see would be a swift kick in the groin, because unwrapping a Tamani without their consent is a grave insult punishable by death.
In his search for beasts and demons to battle, Qurin learned of a dangerous being that lived at this location. Something big and cruel. Or, as Qurin would see it: something worthy of his blade. The island was small, consisting of a large rocky hill in the center with trees encircling it. It would hardly be difficult to find whatever beast was here.
Now, Qurin stands where the sandy beach turns into tufts of grass and rock. While his journey through the crucible of battle has been fraught with both terrible peril and glorious victory, it is here that it truly begins. Here and now, as the grace of Tam beats down on Qurin, ironically both warming his heart yet also reminding him of his mortality. And always, a journey begins with wonder: Qurin's eyes look to the top of the hill, where a beautiful statue of Tam peeks out from over the trees.
Qurin casually walks towards the statue. He reaches a hand back and rests it on the grip of Incisura, steadying her. This beast must be here somewhere.
The climb up the hill is not difficult for Qurin. Their boots crunch on gravel and twigs, and a gentle breeze causes the three small bells tied to Incisura’s pommel to twinkle. At the top of the hill, they can now see the full splendor of the statue. Tam is depicted in many forms, and this statue has chosen to show her as a gentle caretaker. She has an outstretched arm, palm open and upwards, and a kind smile on her face. At the base of the statue is an inscription, written in Aifysh:
"Here we erect an idol
On this, the Living Isle.
May Tam's light appease the beast
With her warm and loving smile."
Qurin tilts his head, then takes Incisura and jams it into the ground. If the beast he's after is what he thinks it is… well, they'll need to change the island's name when he's done here.
The ground rumbles. A huge mossy rock nearby opens up. Wait, no. It wasn't a rock; it was an eyelid.
For an eye.
Which is staring at Qurin.
Qurin deftly lifts his blade onto his shoulder and with his other hand points at the eye. A formal challenge. In response, the hill shakes and shudders, and begins to rise into the air! The Tamani warrior tumbles down the hill and lands with a 'fwump' on the beach. Their face is in the sand, and their ass is in the air. How valiant. He props himself up with Incisura. This is all totally according to plan. The beast must have a soft underbelly for him to attack!
The entire hill is, as Qurin can now see, not a hill. It is a round creature, covered in dirt and rock (or perhaps made of it?), with a single eye staring down at the Tamani. Two earthen arms stretch out from the ground and smash down onto the beach. One of them turns Qurin's rowboat into splinters.
"Ah." Qurin lets out a small exhale in surprise. Then proceeds to bear down on the creature.
Their wild swing tears a chunk of earth out of the grassy golem, sending a spray of muck and gravel into the air. However, a massive hand picks Qurin up by the scruff of his neck and holds him up high in the air. They dangle between two dirty fingers as the single stone eye stares at the Tamani.
Qurin jabs their blade between the fingers and kicks at the handle, prying apart the fingers. They fall, and as they plummet through the air, they grab their blade and swing downwards, turning the force of their fall into a massive swing of the mighty Incisura. A blast of dirt is kicked up as they land, and their impact creates a small crater.
The stone eye of the beast winces. A giant mouth opens up -- a pitch-black cave with sharp rocks that resemble teeth. From within that mouth rumbles a single word, deep and gravelly, long and drawn out:
"OOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"
Qurin tilts his head, then sits cross-legged on the ground. Incisura rests in his lap. If the beast wails in pain like a child, it must be one, and is not worth slaying.
"YOOOUUUUU HURRRRT MEEEEEEE!" it bellows. The eye squints in anger.
"Mhm." He nods, and remains sitting.
"GIIIIIVE MEE OOOOOOONE GOOOOOD REEEEASON NOOOT TOOO CRUSH YOOOOU RIIIGHT NOOOOOOW..." Both earthen hands raise above Qurin, ready to smash.
Qurin shrugs as he stands. He picks up Incisura, with the blade facing himself. He inspects the edge carefully, then nods approvingly as it meets his standards. Looking back to the stone eye, he shrugs. "Don't have one. But I won't be easy to crush."
The arms lower slightly -- not to crush, but because the earthen beast is somewhat confused. "YOU HAAVE.... NO REEEEASON? ..... WHYYYYY?"
"I hurt you, I came here with the intent to hurt you, so it makes sense you'd want to crush me," Qurin explained with a mild condescending tone. The beast is a child, isn't he?
"THEN YOU DOOOO HAVE A REEEASSONNNN.... DO NOT LIIIEEE TO MEEEE!" The hands raise again.
"You asked for a good reason, but that is a very poor reason to not crush me, correct?"
The living island rolls its single stone eye. "OHHHH.... DON'T BE A SMAAARTASSS.... YOU AND EEEVEEERRRRRY ADVENTURER WHOOO COMES HERE BOTHERING MEEE..."
He sighs, then flips the blade to face the island. "Let's just get this over with then."
"AAAAND WHAT DOOO YOU HOPE TO GEEET OUT OOOOOF THIIIIS? IIIII'M JUUUUST HEEEERE MIIINDING MY OOOOOOWN BUUUUSINESSS... ANND YOOOU ALLL DECIIIIDED TOOO BOOOOTHER MEEEE." The earthen golem crosses their giant arms.
"I was informed you were a danger, and thus maybe someone worth a fight. If I've been misinformed, I'll take my leave and let my blade correct that misinformation… so no one else can bother you." Qurin is frustrated and bothered by the situation. This Golem is too sassy and nosy to be the beast he was told of.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
The hill lets out a sigh -- sending a cloud of dust from the mouth-cave. "IIIIIII'M NOOOOOOT THE DAAAAAANGERRRRR...."
All around the island, the tides go out -- revealing a concerningly large portion of the beach. Fish flop about helplessly as the water rushes away.
"Ah."
As though on command, the deafening silence is broken by Qurin's "Ah,” and the waves crash back in. A young seawyrm explodes forth from the ocean, streaking through the air, completely over the island. Its shadow passes over Qurin, sending a wave of mist across their body. Despite only being an adolescent, this seawyrm is still several hundred meters in length, and its width is nearly that of the island. It smashes into the ocean on the other side, creating yet another mini-tsunami. It emerges once more, its serpent-like head dripping with saltwater and seaweed. The fins around its face expand, and two sets of eyes open, yellow pupils narrowing into slits. Its mouth opens into a roar that causes the island to shake and the water to ripple intensely. Sunlight glistens off its moist, dark-green scales.
"THAAAAAAT'S THE DAAAANGERRRRR...." the island says, stating the obvious. Its single stone eye looks at Qurin. "AAAARE YOOOOU SUUUUURE YOOOU WANNNT TOOO FIIIIGHT HIIIIIMMM?"
There's no answer, he's already fighting the beast.
Qurin dashes towards the seawyrm. The island, understanding that fighting an aquatic creature is very difficult for most terrestrial creatures, extends one of its earthen arms out to provide a ramp for Qurin to run along. Once at the tip of the hand, it flicks upwards, launching Qurin towards the seawyrm. And, just at the moment of the flick, Qurin uses Incisura to pole vault into the air.
The seawyrm, despite being extremely big and intimidating, was wholly underprepared for such a gutsy assault. It watches the Tamani soar through the air, almost amazed, before getting a blade right on the nose. Incisura cuts deep, embedding into the scales and flesh. Once again, Qurin is dangling up in the air, gripping onto Incisura's hilt, several stories up in the air. The eyes of the seawyrm stare at the tiny, annoying thing that attacked it -- a terrifying sight to behold, offset somewhat by the fact that it has to cross its eyes to look at Qurin. It opens its mouth once more, and lets out a blast of steaming hot water in an attempt to get the tenacious Tamani off its nose. Qurin's feet are quite singed by the jets of scalding water, and the island is struck by it as well, washing away rocks and dirt and tearing a chunk into the hillside.
Qurin hoists himself up onto his blade. He can't seem to pull it out, but he sure as hell can make it go deeper. As the seawyrm stares at the annoying little man on its face, Qurin jumps into the air and kicks his feet down onto the back of Incisura, slamming the blade further into the beast's snout.
The seawyrm roars. It is royally pissed now, and its diminutive opponent is being more than just an annoyance now. As blood streams from its face, it decides to put away its fancy tricks and steam blasts, and just slams its entire face into the island. The good news is, that dislodged Incisura. The bad news is, Qurin is smashed into the sand. The beast rears back, revealing Qurin's crumpled body lying in the middle of a crater, Incisura beside them. This was going to hurt in the morning.
Before Qurin can even begin to stand, the seawyrm is already aiming another headbutt into the island. Right at Qurin's position.
Knowing he has no time to get out of the way, Qurin raises Incisura. Hopefully, the beast slamming into the blade will hurt it more than it will hurt Qurin. The seawyrm opens its mouth, biting into the sand. Qurin is swallowed whole. Not exactly the outcome he was expecting.
There is, as usual, good news and bad news. The good news is, Qurin is alive, Incisura in hand. The bad news is, he's inside a seawyrm's mouth. The good news is, he is caught on one of its teeth, which is the only reason he wasn't sent down a dark, slimy esophagus to be digested whole. The bad news is, he can't see anything in here, nor can he get a good footing to properly swing his blade.
Needless to say, this was a really bad situation. He can't stomach the idea of being eaten by this beast -- dying from digestion is hard for him to swallow. What to do now? He'd have to chew on this.
Qurin had an idea. It was a bit tongue-in-cheek but--
What's that?
...
I'm being told to hold back on the puns. I apologize.
Ahem. Where were we? Ah, yes, Qurin. Who, as of right now, is stabbing Incisura into the tongue of the beast, pinning it to the bottom of its mouth. It screams in pain, thrashing its head about, but Qurin holds firm, gripping Incisura's hilt. Just as Qurin's grip is beginning to reach its limit, the seawyrm jerks to a halt, and it slams downwards. It squirms but is unable to move. Looking out the mouth, Qurin can see a pair of earthen hands, pinning the seawyrm to the island.
Qurin, battered by his assault on the monster, peers out to see that Tam has smiled upon him, and proceeds to finish the job of stabbing the tongue. There, much better. It's definitely all the way through the tongue now.
The seawyrm is still angry. The island attempts to remedy this by smashing a massive hand onto its head. This propels Qurin out of the wyrm's mouth, as well as Incisura. Qurin slides a good thirty feet through the sand, leaving behind a ditch. Incisura is shot through the air and embeds itself into a palm tree above Qurin, nearly splitting the trunk completely in half.
Qurin stands and yanks his prized blade from the tree. The seawyrm seems to be unconscious now thanks to the island’s mighty fist. Job well done, he supposes, turning to go back to where he docked his rowboat.
"Ah." He grunts, disappointed.
Seeing only splinters of his boat remain, he looks at the Golem, and the carnage they wrought together. The island picks up the knocked-out wyrm and tosses it into the ocean. It splashes up a massive wave.
"IIIIII'VE NEEEEEVER BEEEEEN AAAAAABLE TO GEEEEET RIIIIID OOOOOF IIIIIIT UNTIIIL NOOOOOOWWWW... IT'LL THIIIINK TWIIIIICE BEEEEFORE COOOOOMING BAAAACK...." The island claps its hands together, imitating how a person would dust their hands off after a hard day's work. The problem is, its hands are entirely made of dirt and rock, so all it manages to do is send dirt everywhere.
Qurin coughs and sputters, then nods with a grunt of affirmation. Then he gestures to the remnants of his boat.
The boulder eye rolls across the island so it can see Qurin. It "blinks" at Qurin, then stares at the smashed boat -- at this point, it's barely even a few boards, since the huge waves have washed most of it away.
".... OOOOOHHHHHHHH.... SSSOOOOOORRRYYYYYYY........." The island looks embarrassed. Can islands look embarrassed? This one can.
As the island sheepishly looks upon the carnage, Qurin spots another boat. It's bigger. And out in the sea.
"I will manage." Qurin collects what boards he can and vines from nearby trees to fashion a raft. He then paddles out to sea, using Incisura as a makeshift oar. He nods to the Island Golem. "Goodbye."
The raft slowly begins to sink.
He sighs, his intense desire to leave thwarted by the laws of nature. He drags himself and the raft back to shore. Time for plan B.
The raft falls to pieces the moment it touches dry land. The island can’t help but laugh — a low, rumbling chuckle that shakes the entire island, causing the ocean around it to ripple.
He sighs again, and points to the boat in the distance. "Can you get me there?"
The island rolls its eyestone over to look at the ship. "YOOOOOU ARE VERRRRYYY FUNNNY...... YOOUUU FIIIIGHT THAT GIIIIIANT MOOOONSTER WITH NOOOOOO HESITATIOOOON... AND YEEEET...." the island chuckles, interrupting its own sentence. Even then, Qurin is pretty sure that the island was going to finish the sentence with some kind of sass.
"My bandages will be wet, and light pierces the water."
The island sighs. "OOOOOKKAAAAYYYYYYYY...... YOOOOOU SCRAAAATCHED MYYYYYY BAAAACK... IIIIIIII'LL SCRAAAAATCH YOOOOOOURS...."
The island then lifts one giant arm and waves to the ship in the distance. Its other arm begins paddling at the water, drawing the waves toward it. This, in turn, begins pulling the boat towards the island.
It takes a few minutes and some serious paddling, but the ship is now next to the island. The crew stares down, mouth agape, at the living island and the beat-up Tamani standing on the shore.
"Hello, I seek passage to not here." Qurin raises a hand in greeting.
A giant Lupii looms over the railing. The entire crew turns to look at him, still agape. "Did you.... did you just take down that seawyrm?"
"With help." He gestures to the island golem.
The island waves. "HEEEELLLOOOOOOOO LUUUUCIIUUUUSSS..."
The giant Lupii offers a little wave in return. "Good to see you again, Trevor."
Trevor, an interesting name. "You... know each other?"
"I sail by this place a lot. It’d be rude if I didn’t say hello."
"VERRRRY RUUUUUUDE!"
"Mhm." Qurin nods. He's very confused.
"We’re headed to New Trensidale." the Lupii captain, evidently named Lucius (minus the long, drawn-out syllables provided by Trevor, of course), says. "That fine with you? Not that beggars can be choosers, of course."
"Indeed. I will come with you, if you'll have me."
Lucius looks to Trevor and raises a knowing eyebrow.
"IIIIII CAAAAAN VOOOUCH FOOOOOR HIIIIM...... HE HEEEEELPED MEEEEE WITH THEEEEE SEEEAAAWYRRMM... VEEERY BRAAAVE AND GUUUTSY, THOUUUGH A BIIIT RUUUUUDE AT FIIIIRST. BUUUUT IIIII FORGIIIIIIVE HIIIIM."
Lucius nods. "Very well. If Duke Trevor Hieronymus Gregory Williamsson can vouch for you, then I trust you. What's your name, then?"
"Qurin."
"Very well, Qurin. Welcome aboard." Lucius nods Trevor extends his earthen arm out to form a literal land bridge to the ship for Qurin to walk across.
He scampers up the arm. The Tamani is very tall and spindly, and even with a giant sword strapped to his back, he manages the climb easily. Once on board, he nods in thanks to Trevor.
Duke Trevor Hieronymus Gregory Williamsson waves to Qurin once he's on board. "HAAAAVE AAAAA SAAAAFE TRIIIIIP...."
Lucius puts a hand on Qurin's shoulder. "There are some empty bunks below deck. I'll send our sawbones down to help patch you up." He scans the Tamani up and down. "... These wounds are surprisingly light for a battle with a seawyrm. You're still standing, which is the surprising bit." He grins at Qurin. His massive fangs gleam in the sunlight. "Impressive."
Trevor gives the ship a hearty shove, kicking the ship into full speed. Everyone on board (except Lucius) stumbles as the ship begins moving. Lucius is unfazed. He's been shoved by much tougher things.
Qurin falls flat on his face with an audible "Oof." He remains there, passed out from exhaustion.
As Qurin's consciousness begins to fade, the voice of Lucius grows distant.
"Get him to the surgeon. And secure him a bunk. He deserves the rest."
And then, the warm embrace of sleep washes over him.