"Sound the alarm! Quick! The town is being attacked! Shouted a guard.
"Those beasts never roam this far down the mountain, something must have happened." Said the other.
The walls that were protecting the town were nothing for the beasts that were rampaging around. Well, the beasts weren't supposed to be rampaging at this time of day. And the walls were certainly not built for them. Unless someone was stupid enough to wander beyond the forest, nobody in the town would know. Besides, death awaits those who venture beyond.
One of the giant elk, was charging towards a little girl that got lost in the commotion, separated from her mother. Just as the charging beast was about to hit the little girl. A shield, the size of a full grown man, fell from the sky and saved the child from the charging elk. The beast, slammed to the shield hard. Then a full plated warrior followed after and landed a blow to the head of the elk with his armored fist. He held the girl crying. With smile on his face, he comforted the girl.
"You idiot!!" You almost hit the girl with your giant ass shield Jedrek." The guy shouting while running was Claes, their strategist.
"But I didn't, come on gimme a break, it was your idea."
"I said, to aim at the elk itself, the impact alone could have split that beast in two."
"Then my shield would have been a bloody mess by now, don't you think. Besides, it looked cooler that way."
"Wh-what? Cooler? Oh never mind. Claes let go of the matter. Indicating that this happens a lot in their fights. With the girl saved, he thought of another person.
"She should be done by now."
A beautiful figure was seen by the people running towards the charging beasts. The person held a staff and a glowing crystal on the other. Then when she got to a distance that she knew was right. Shattered the crystal, white smoke came out of it, then directed the essence coming out from the crystal, into the staff. Lifted the staff and pointed it towards the charging beasts, then a sound wave came out of it that immediately halted the beasts charge, and sent them off running back to the mountain. Abrea, stood elegant as the townsfolk cheered her for saving them.
Then suddenly, the smile from her face dissolved, looked at the townspeople and started shouting orders. The people got scared and immediately followed.
"Get your assess over here and fix this wall before those beasts change their mind. I don't know if i can save you people twice."
"My, my, my Abrea, do you always have to be like that? Those beasts won't be coming back. You gave them a shock, when you casted that spell. I told you, it would come in handy." Said Claes.
A sudden punch came flying towards Claes gut as he approached Abrea.
"That is for looking at my butt when you sent me flying to this town."
Claes getting off guard with Abrea's gut-punch, gasped for air as he lay on the ground.
"I... didn't... mean... it, you were wearing white down there." Still gasping for air, Claes made Abrea blush.
Abrea, started kicking Claes on the ground.
"Why you perv! Want a little more beating eh!"
"That's enough love birds, you can continue that at the inn i found across the street. But before that, let's help these people fix that wall. Jedrek laughing, while he approached the two"
Abrea, blushed even more and landed one last hard hit on poor Claes.
"Hmp, i'd rather kiss a dog than make love with this perv."
Claes, followed after the two as they go walking towards the broken wall, speaking on the back.
"That's cold of you to say Abrea, last night you were all over me, back there in the woods."
But the two were already away, Abrea remembered something and spoke,
"By the way, thhe kingdom where your home town is not far from here Jedrek, your daughter's birthday is a quarter of a Clearing away, if you leave for tomorrow, you'll be there in a day with a horse. It's okay for Claes and I to take a bit of rest here and make sure that nothing bad happens here, if you like. How old is she, 18 right? About time she gets married off to some rich house back there.
"Aye, 18. Naylene sent me a letter, said she introduced her to a young man from an honorable House back home and..."
"Really? How did it go? Claes, catching up with the two. Surprised that his best friend's daughter is all grown up now."
"...and, she beat him up. The boy was a bit cocky when he said that Siloh could be added too as a wife. Naylene had to apologize and leave a gift for the House."
"Ha! The boy deserved it! But Jedrek! Don't they have respect for your House? You're Jedrek, THE Jedrek Orva, once captain of the Kings guard, held off a hundred... "Abrea got cut off.
"It was ten, actually. Don't know why people exaggerates these kind of things."
"Our point IS, you're a hero Jedrek, the King even offered you one of his daughters, if only you weren't married, you'd could have been next in line for the throne. Claes cleared his throat and said, the King didn't see me in action, I'm sure he'd offer me one of her daughters too, for sure... ouch, not on the face Abrea"
Abrea, annoyed by the sudden change of topic hit Claes on the face with her staff.
"I bet, the King would have offered you one of his donkeys as a reward, if he saw you in that battle."
"If that were to happen, I would only end up as a political tool from one of the main Houses. You all know I'd rather hit the road with you guys, than be a pet there. Let's finish up here, and by dawn I'll be on my way."
"Ohh, getting cheecky with us wont melt our hearts Jedrek. I'm soaked, now where was that inn you were saying?"
The inn was seated between a split road, with the long journey they just had. They quickly settled in, as the sun also settled for the day. Jedrek, woke from the sound of people chatting downstairs , and so went down to have a little drink. His mind wandered from the battle, to this family, the three children that he had to leave behind, for he was no ordinary man, the King of the neighboring kingdom took notice of this, and had him as the captain of his personal guards. Battle hardened, but gentle, still never changing, he unconsciously smiled.
The inn keeper was polishing the bottles of wines when he noticed the man sitting at the front table, deep in thought, eyes showing what kind of journey his been trough. He felt the same, and so approached the man.
"Ale's on the house, if you could tell me a story or two. Been growing tired of that old mans' story telling for quite some time now. It's good to have some fresh face in this forgotten corner of the world.
The old man was deep into his story when he heard the inn keeper said something, finished his ale and said,"I maybe old you redhead, but I ain't deaf. These stories are a thousand years old, but still remains as if they happened yesterday, and the boy likes it, mind you."
"... go on, go on, finish your story old man." Said the inn keeper
"New face perhaps. But not fresh, and thanks for the offer, but I don't want to interrupt the old man, his story seems interesting..."
"But old, very old. Colored fire? Forgotten magic? Knowing the name of things... pff. They bore me." The inn keeper, now polishing the table intensely. "I want something new."
"Well, my town has this old story, it is old. But you might not have heard it before. It's about a demon that fell from the sky, that lives in a cave. Want to give it a try?"
"I might have heard of it, if it's old. I've been to places before, places you'd find in faery tales, it's hard to come by new ones these days. You either run off into the woods at full moon and get lost or call on to the beings..."
The inn keeper's apprentice cut the inn keeper off.
"Master, your emotions. Let me get the ale for the both of you, it's time you take a break, and sir, heard or haven't heard before, please do tell him the story, that will give him something to think about."
"My apologies. Been hearing rumors about giant spiders roaming at night, they keep me up until dawn just to guard my animals. This corner of the world, I thought I found a quiet place. "
"It's okay innkeeper. Now, going back to our conversation. True, you might have heard of it, you'll never know unless you hear it out, and yes, the ale comes first before the story."
"My apprentice is fetching us some of my best ale to offer."
They exchanged names and talked a bit more, as the innkeeper's apprentice gives them their ale.
"Interesting name you got their, your mother named you? And aren't you a bit young to be an innkeeper and have an apprentice. I bet you too have a very interesting story to tell."
The innkeeper laughs. "Yes, they said it means to know in some language my mother used to study. If i told you my story, we'd be sitting here for three days. I don't want to stall you if you have some business to attend to."
The innkeeper couldn't help but notice the strange glow in the man's eyes. They changed color every time he shows a different emotion, and so he asked.
"You're blessed. We're the stories true as they say, in the ruins did you find...?"
"That's a story for another day my new friend, now shall we?"
"You have truly piqued my interests Jedrek, I look forward for more. Old man, quiet it down a bit. I have a more interesting story here than your demons and hammer wielding god."
As the dust settled in from people leaving the inn, and the innkeepers handsome apprentice mopping the floor, Jedrek finished his story.
"...the being lives on to this day."
"Interesting. And the warrior, must be from another world, and it happened more than a thousand years ago? The story may have been changed drastically, but still those words hold some kind of truth in them. I've heard similar stories, but yours intrigued me the most. If he still lives on to this day, then his there right now. I wonder if he got over his loss."
"I'm sorry to tell you, but the kingdom that governs that mountain has forbid anyone from exploring, especially outsiders."
"Tough luck, I guess. Well, if somebody today gets to see that warrior and lived to tell the tale, my inn is here and the ale is free. You can come in and tell me anytime Jedrek, my apprentice will be on guard for the night from those damn spiders. If you weren't here today, my inn could have been wrecked, not that I don't have a way to stop them, I just..."
"I told you, they don't go far down this side of the mountain. Those beasts today were disturbed by something, and it rarely happens." Said the apprentice.
"Goodnight innkeeper, I'll settle for the night too."
As Jedrek lay on his bed, thoughts of seeing his family cleared his mind, calmed his body. And the night went by, as silently as it could be.