Indistinct voices ring out from all around me, as my eyes adjust to the light, I see myself on a bed covered in bloodied bandages with one spot where the bandages seem to be heavily soaked on my right abdomen. My senses begin adjusting to the situation, following suit, my head very slowly begins turning to look at the two men speaking to my side. There’s one man wearing a drab, blood covered doctor’s apron covering a fairly muscular body. For a doctor he seems to be much more muscular than he has any right to be, though that’s hard to notice seeing the man next to him, a tower of muscle and strength covered in a full set of plate armor, holding a scabbard at his side which seems to carry some sort of claymore. As my senses begin returning fully, the pain from my right-side flares up and forces me to wince and groan, attracting their attention. Hopefully they’re friendly.
“Seems he’s finally up” says the knight, clearly annoyed at my predicament.
“Well, that’s only to be expected, the fact that he’s alive is a bloody miracle after that catastrophe, I’m impressed you managed to discern that he was breathing with how hoarse and weak it was” The doctor quickly replies, clearly exasperated.
“Well let’s see if breathing is the only thing he can do” The knight follows up as he approached and gets on one knee to peer into my eye “What do you say buddy, that mouth feeling loose enough to know what the hell happened?”
As he says that, my brain and mouth finally begin moving in-sync again as I speak up “W-where am I?”
The knight rolls his eyes “You’re in a hospital in Aetherius, that’s not important right now. How about we start with something simple to get that brain moving, you remember your name?”
The haze coating my brain begins to clear up as I focus “…Dristan, what the hell happened?”
“Alright Dristan, that’s a start, as for what happened, I was hoping you’d be the one to answer that for me, cause right now we’re all as confused as you.”
I chuckle grimly “I’m not sure I want to remember if that’s the case.”
“I could slam your head on the wall if that helps kick-start that memory of yours” The knight says, hard to tell whether he’s joking or not.
I close my eyes to try and remember, memories begin flooding through me again, indistinct images and sounds that I stitch and put together myself as finally a full picture begins forming in my mind.
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I take a deep breath as I walk around the dark, brick streets of the city of Caelora, a group of children run past me through the crowd being chased by a clearly exasperated parent. The sounds of the band playing in the distance blare into my ears, drowning out the torrential sounds of the Defi River. Tens of stalls peddle their wares across the street, each competing to sell their product, from the old greying blacksmith selling his tried-and-true weapons to the arcanist selling all sorts of magical gadgets. The Paxolthian Unification festival is as bustling as ever.
As I walk amongst the many goers, I spot a sullen looking child on the ground holding a mug carrying several coins within. The child keeps shaking the cup, showing how little they have. Seeing this, I reach into my pocket and, quiet as a mouse, drop a coin in there casually as I continue on my path, I head into an empty alleyway to help gather my thoughts. I never much liked big events like these, they’re a bit overwhelming. I close my eyes and attempt to focus my listening, all the background noise begins slowly filtering out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I never thought I’d have to come back to Paxolthum. I just hope this job will finally be my ticket out. I’ve been doing small jobs too damn long. Hormel has been speaking highly of this one, so I hope for once he actually means it. As much as I hate to admit it, he sure knows how to reel me in.
A few minutes pass by whilst I wait in the alley, before finally I hear what I was waiting for, as a set of footsteps step into my alleyway.
“Bit bold of you to try and contact me like this” I say to the set of footsteps as they come into light, a tall man wearing a set of clothes that helps him seem inconspicuous. His face is well chiseled with a scraggly excuse of a beard. His hair is well groomed, straight and cascading down his shoulders. You’d think this a random nobody but as the light of the torch illuminates his face, the deep scar that runs over his hazy white eye becomes apparent.
“Well, we don’t usually get an opportunity like this one, so I think you understand the need for unorthodox means” replies Hormel with a toothy smile.
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“The pay for this job better be incredible Hormel, you know I don’t like coming back to Paxolthum. Can’t have the Crimson Shadows sniffing after me.”
“Trust me it is.” Hormel replies, as he begins rifling through his pocket “The patron said he just wants you investigate the noble house of Leoren and try to find any information that you would consider ‘important’” his free hand doing an air quote on the last word as he pulls a heavily worn-out and ancient looking key from his pocket and extends it out to me.
“Leoren? Didn’t they get wiped out, and what the hell is that key for?”
He shrugs at me “I’m stuck asking the same questions, apparently their estate still exists near the outskirts of Veridia. So that should probably be your first objective. As for the key, frankly I have no idea, he just said you’ll need it eventually.”
I rest my palm on my face, trying to process what’s going on before I raise my head and look at him again “Who the hell is the patron anyway, you got any info on them?”
“Again, no idea, all’s I know is that he calls himself “Outsider” and that he’s originally from Beloss.”
“Beloss? What the hell would someone from Beloss care about that house? God this just keeps getting more confusing. Are you sure this is not someone within the nobles trying to spark up another war? You’ve already gotten me my fair share of trouble I don’t want an entire region to be after my tail as well.”
“You really think they’ll try to start another war when they’re stuck killing each other? There’s no way, if you ask me, I think that nickname the patron gave us is pretty apt, seems he’s just an outsider.”
I collect my thoughts and try to put together the information I’m receiving, trying to somehow fit pieces that just don’t fit together, as finally I shrug and say “Whatever, if the pay is good then that doesn’t concern me. How much was the pay to be specific?” I say as I grab the key and observe it, it’s decorated with a pretty decorative pattern and lacks any teeth to speak of.
“Nothing set in stone. Pay based on how much information you can get. But don’t worry, bare minimum is 5 thousand Imper.” He says with a smile, knowing he has me hooked now.
I look at him incredulously, not believing the words he just uttered. I could buy myself a house with that kind of money “5 thousand?! Ok you know what, I don’t care if this is a guy who’s trying to spark a war. Consider the job done.”
“Make sure to do it right, this is the first time you’re dealing with a high buyer, so you better set the right impression.”
“Do you really think I don’t know how to do my job? I can handle myself fine enoug-” As I was about to speak out, I suddenly hear a loud voice ringing across the entirety of the city, as I look in the direction it’s coming from to investigate.
Standing in the hands of a large statue, stands a man wearing some fancy garments. A black coat over his blank white shirt and tight black pants. A frilly jabot hanging on his neck, He looks like he came right out of an orchestra. His voice is loud and blaring, clearly amplified through the use of magic.
“Good evening people of Caelora!” His voice raspy and high-pitched, his eyes have a wild look to them complimenting the massive grin plastered on his face. “I hope you’re all enjoying the Unification Festival? Well seeing as we’re near the end the festival, I’ve come to present the final event!”
As he says that, he pulls from his pocket a specialty deck of cards, as he begins to shuffle them in his hand. I step out of the alley, I see many people, including guards and officials, looking around confused and trying to understand what’s going on. Seems this wasn’t a planned event. Sensing danger, my hand reaches to my side and grips my dagger in preparation for what’s coming.
He speaks out again “A tarot card reading! For whom you might ask? Why the entire world of course. We shall find out right now what fate the world faces in the future!” As he says that, he finally stops his shuffling and draws a card to his eyes and his eyes only before his grin grows ever wider and he flips the card. It’s hard to tell from the distance but the card seems to show a tower being struck by lightning.
He begins laughing loudly and manically, unease spreads through the crowd as some of the guards begin approaching before, he speaks out again. “The Tower! Crisis! Danger! Change!” His words hang for a little longer on the word “Change”. “I’d say that’s quite perfect! Signaling the end of the current era and the start of a brand new one! My era!” His voice grows more and more excited with every word that escapes from his lips. I feel uneasy.
“Fate’s wheels are turning, and I shall be the centerpiece! Carve my name into your heads! I AM THE MEISTER!” He begins laughing loudly once again before he calms down and says with an expression of pure malice “Now, let us begin, the requiem of the old world!” As he says that his hands reach for his pockets as he pulls out a conducting baton, as he does so, he closes his eyes, and his hands raise methodically over his head. His movements carry a grace to them that clashes against the manic expression on his face. My instincts tell me I am in danger as I begin turning around to run. I take one final glance towards him as the guards reach the base of the statue before his hands spread apart in one quick movement. As his arms reach the apex of the movements…
BOOM
I hear a loud set of explosions ring out from all around me, the uneasy crowds turn into panicked ones as screams ring out from every street in Caelora as with every movement the Meister makes another explosion rings out.
I begin sprinting, trying to get out of the city as fast as I can. My feet carry me faster than I anticipated, my heart is beating out of my chest. I come to an alley filled with a crowd as I quickly turn and start going towards the southern entrance of the city. I see stalls splayed out across the streets as I quickly begin vaulting over them one by one. I turn to look in the direction of an explosion as I see a strange fire rising, darker than the midnight sky in a new moon. My distraction becomes my death sentence as suddenly a loud explosion blares right into my ears and sends me flying back and slamming into a weak wooden wall and breaking through it.
My vision blurs and my ears ring loudly. Pain overwhelms my body as I try as I feel the back of my shirt grow wet with blood. I begin losing consciousness, the last thing I see is the wooden wall above me cracking and a plank begins falling, aiming for my side.