I had been on the road towards Greyfort for at least four days now, resting in between as usual. I couldn't shake this feeling I had, I had done my job, it was over I was paid. Why was I heading back into the empire? Why was I risking my life and everything else just to deliver some letters and a sword? A sword, a sword that meant a lot to a person enough to entrust it with someone else, a sword that could be enough to…."Son of a bitch." At that moment I realized that this plain sword that could be worth more than anyone's home in the empire could be enough to buy a brand new and much better home somewhere else, somewhere less dangerous. Her brother probably doesn't know how to fight or something like that and she just wanted him to live somewhere else where they'll be safer and away from all the hate and prejudice they have received over the years. I traveled another four days until I finally reached Greyfort. I was a bit larger than most towns, a few tall buildings here and there but nothing as big as most of the cities in the empire. The main part of Greyfort was the enormous wall, it stood about 100 to 150 feet tall, though I knew about the attacks from a hostile clan of goliaths, I also knew that goliaths weren't that tall to easily climb over the thing, but whatever makes them happy I guess.
I decided to go to the local tavern and ask where I could find Silaqui's brother. Before she died, she had told me what his name was during our original journey back home, she even gave me a fairly decent drawing of what he looked like, his name is Lulen, he has a short hairstyle, a small scar on his cheek, a bit average body wise but leaning more on the thinner side of things. I showed his picture around the tavern to see if anyone knew who he was or where I could find him. No one had any idea, not even the goliath barkeep, who seemed relatively nicer and a tad smaller than most goliaths I've met over the years, "Sorry sir, afraid I haven't seen a lad like that." "It's alright, I'll have a seat over by a booth for a moment and I'll keep looking." The goliath nodded and I sat in a booth next to a window, it was nearing midday, and grey clouds overtook the sky outside and a light rain began to fall, the raindrops hardly made a sound against the window, as I was distracted by the rain a voice softly called out, "What could get you handsome?" I turned to see a beautiful half-elf woman standing there with a notepad in her hand, she had a slim hourglass figure, long dark brown hair, dark hazel eyes, and a beautiful and innocent smile.
She looked over at the drawing and raised her eyebrows, "Wait a minute, are you looking for this man?" she asked innocently. "Yes, I am. Do you know where I can find him?" She nodded, "Yes. Starting from where you first enter the town, go go to the end of the street, make a right turn and go about three buildings down, you'll find a relatively nice home with a very ugly looking door, knock on the side of the house where the door is to avoid getting any splinters." I rolled up the drawing and thanked her, "Thank you, um… what's your name?" She smiled, "my name is Alethra handsome. Come back later and I'll make sure you won't forget it." Happy yet confused I ran off to find Silaqui's brother.
As per her directions, I was able to find a nice home with an ugly door. I knocked on the side of the door, now aware of what exactly she was talking about. I was met with another half-elf woman, only she had dark skin, dark hazel green eyes, and her hair was done in braids and tied into a loose ponytail to avoid having it all in her face, "Hello. How may I help you?" She asked, "Good afternoon ma'am, I was looking for Lulen, I have to speak with him privately about a certain matter." She put a hand on her hip, "Anything you have to say to my husband you can say to me." I took a deep breath, "It's about his sister." I could tell by the look on her face she didn't want to press further and allowed me inside. She led me past the kitchen into a living area where Lulen was playing with one of his two children, "Lulen, darling, this man wishes to speak with you privately." She said. "Oh well, children, please go with your mother." The children giggled as they ran past me to hug their mother, though it was indeed Lulen it seems that he has grown out his hair, it was wavy and barely touched his shoulders, "Well, let us go into my private office," he said as he tied his hair into a messy ponytail.
As we entered his office, I noticed the number of books that had his name on them, "Are you a writer?" I asked him, "Oh yes, as well as a relatively well-known publisher, there was this excellent story written by a half-orc I helped publish, sold thousands of copies, the lad used it to buy himself a one-way ship out of the empire and to the sunny beaches of the silver isles. Sent me a painting of his new home his new wife made it, quite talented that woman." He served himself a small glass of dark red wine and as he took a sip he turned to look at me who was waiting to tell him the news, "right, my apologies, you wised to speak to me about something." "uh...yes. This went, much differently in my head to be honest. It's a lot harder now that I'm here having to do it." He sat at his chair and put his feet up on his desk, "Well go on, I haven't got all afternoon." He took another long sip of wine, "Your sister, Silaqui…" "What about her?" he said staring at his nearly empty glass, "She's dead." his eyes widened and he dropped his glass, breaking as it hit the floor near his feet. "What?" I said nothing as I handed him her sword, "This was her sword...she made it herself back when we were much younger." "She also wanted me to give you these. They're letters she never had the courage to send. She was afraid you wouldn't read them, or that you'd never respond."
His eyes began to swell and tear up as he read one of the letters, "this is her handwriting...I'm surprised it hasn't changed in...well over 70 years. Had I the courage, I would have written back. I would have insulted her writing, saying that it hasn't improved at all, but I'd have asked her to take care of herself in the end. Gods, we might have finally reconnected after all these years if we weren't so damn stubborn." He looked over the sword again, "why would she give this to me? She knows I can't fight." "I believe she'd want you to sell it." he looked at me with wide eyes, "Sell it? Why?" I sat down in front of his desk, "believe it or not, a sword like that has a lot of value to the right person, would likely be a few thousand platinum's worth, if you're lucky, and if it is that much, maybe you can also live along those white andy beaches and cool blue oceans of the silver isles, far from the hate, and suspicious looks, and far from anyone who has any ill will against those of your kind." He looked at the sword, the ears slowly starting to dry on his face, "Silaqui, she was the oldest, she always took care of me. I guess this is her way of telling me that she still planned to." a warm smile formed on his face, "Thank you. I don't have much in terms of coin but, feel free to take a book or two from the collection, and if you want, I'll gladly publish any writing you wish to make yourself." I smiled and picked up three books
The first was an adventure book titled "The Buried Shadow", it follows a half-elf rogue who was supposedly killed along with his father, now rising from his own grave he seeks revenge for his father's death, however, many believe he has died alongside his father, so he decides to take up the mantle of "The buried shadow." The next book is about a prince who is rescued by a group of rogues following an assassination attempt, he is trained by them to take on whoever tried to have him killed. It is simply titled, "The prince and the rogues." finally I picked up a book titled "Dreams of Lust", it was a collection of stories of couples and other folks who retold their most intimate nights with their significant other or with random strangers. "There's one in there about a man who had relations with a drow and a tiefling to satisfy his patron and prove himself, surprisingly his patron meant he was to slay them and not...well you get the picture." I smiled and placed the books and my bag. "Thank you again, it was nice to know she was still willing to speak to me over the past few years." "You're welcome." I walked back out into town and thunder cracked open the sky, heavy rain had been falling and I didn't even bring the horse.
It took me a while, but I reached the same in again, "Oh! You've returned. Can I get you a drink? Something to eat? A room even?" "All three friend." I sat in the same booth and he gave me a pint of warm mead, and a plate of fried potatoes, and a thick slab of fire-roasted beef. I gladly ate and drank my fill, and as I finished, the same half-elf woman was hiding behind the stairs that led to the bedrooms, she bit her bottom lip, and with a single finger beckoned me to come closer. I was in a much better mood so I decided to follow her, what could go wrong?