The group stumbled through the dim and foreboding corridors, the eerie silence of the dungeon weighing heavy on their minds. After walking for what seemed like days on end, they had reached a dead-end and were desperate to find a place to rest. As they carefully examined their surroundings, they noticed a prison cell, the doors covered in rust and decay. Despite the disrepair, the cell looked to be intact, providing shelter and a safe spot where they could finally rest their weary bodies. With a sigh of relief, the group entered the cell, grateful for a place to rest. As they entered the cell, they saw what remained of an old single bed. Though it was covered in dust and rust, it still provided a place of comfort and rest. Silvertongue, tired and desperate for some sleep, quickly lay on the bed allowing himself to finally relax. Stella and Drake, exhausted and weary, carefully examined the cell, looking for signs of danger or potential threats. Drake, with a hint of concern on his face, suggested that they keep watch while resting in the prison cell. He urged Silvertongue to take the first shift, and then Stella would take the next, with Him taking the last. The group agreed to this arrangement, determined to stay alert and vigilant despite their exhaustion and need for rest. Silvertongue, stepped up first, taking his position next to the cell door and keeping a careful watch, he lightly hummed a sweet and soothing song to himself, the melodious and serene tune filling the air as he guarded the cell door. Drake and Stella settled down in the back of the cell, ready to rest and keep watch. Drake settled down on the floor and used a ragged fabric from beneath the bed as a makeshift sleeping mat. Stella, taking a bit of a more relaxed approach than Drake, settled into the old bed and quickly drifted off into deep and peaceful sleep, her fatigue and exhaustion finally overtaking her.
Just as Drake was finally starting to doze off, he was surprised and jolted awake by a soft voice pleading from somewhere behind him. Looking up, he saw Silvertongue and Stella arguing quietly next to the bed. It seemed that Stella felt Silvertongue had not even been on watch for five minutes before pleading to be released and complaining that he already needed a break. Drake, a bit tired and exhausted, did not want to get involved in the argument, so he simply looked on silently, listening to the exchange. After arguing with Silvertongue for a bit, Stella, her irritation and fatigue growing, finally gave in and agreed to take her watch. She stood up from the old bed and stepped aside, allowing Silvertongue to take her position. Silvertongue with a smile on his face as he happily walked over to the bed and settled in. Drake, still a bit tired and groggy, looked on silently as Stella and Silvertongue switched places, in contrast, Stella looked slightly irritated as she took her position by the cell door, taking a few deep breaths as she prepared to stay on watch. Drake, now relieved that the argument and tension between Silvertongue and Stella was over, finally managed to drift off to sleep.
As Stella stood watch, she could hear Drake mumbling in his sleep, his voice filled with anguish and fear. She turned to observe him for a moment, concern etched across her face as she watched him toss and turn in his sleep, seemingly caught in the midst of a terrible nightmare. After a few moments, Drake suddenly wakes up with a start, his face drenched in sweat and his breathing erratic. The vivid nightmare and state of panic seem to have shaken him up, his eyes darting around as he takes a moment to collect himself. Stella, concerned for his wellbeing, approaches him to check if everything is okay. Seeing that Drake was obviously shaken up by the intense and vivid nightmare, walked over to him and said "You were talking and mumbling in your sleep, is everything alright? You kept saying some names." Drake, still breathing heavily, took a few moments to regain his composure. He looked at Stella, his face still betraying some signs of fear and apprehension, and said "It's fine, it was just a nightmare." He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself further, but the effects of the nightmare seemed to still linger. Stella continued to observe him, concern and worry in her eyes. Drake's voice was still a bit shaking and trembling, he took a few moments to collect himself before saying "Those were my wife and daughter's names... I've been trying to forget, but the nightmare..." his voice trailing off and his eyes filled with pain and anguish, was unable to continue. Stella, seeing that Drake was clearly struggling with the painful memories and trying to hold back tears, came over and gently embraced him, offering comfort and support. She sensing Drake's pain and sadness, asked him to hold on for a moment as she disappeared into the next cells. After a few moments, she returned with a bottle of wine that she had managed to find in one of the cells.
Stella, with the red wine in hand, went over to Drake and said "I found this at the cell next to us, it looked like it had been there for a while. Shall i crack it open?" She offered the bottle to him in a bid to lighten the mood. Drake, still clearly struggling to process the painful memories that the previous nightmare awakened within him, grabbed the bottle of red wine and silently took a small sip and reflected on the events that led to this moment. He began to tell Stella the tragic and disturbing story of his wife and daughter. Drake, taking another sip of wine, continued his story to Stella, who remained still and attentive, listening to his words with sympathy and empathy. "It was 10 years ago... I have been trying to forget..." Drake said, his voice still filled with sadness and pain as he remembered the tragic event. He took another sip of wine and continued, "My daughter... she was just a child, and still she had to suffer such a brutal end at the hands of those bandits." Stella's eyes fixed Drake with empathy, listened silently as he continued to pour his heart out to her. Drake's voice cracking with emotion and pain, took a few moments to collect himself before turning to Stella and saying "I had just returned home after a long day of mercenary work, and as i walked through the front door, I immediately noticed something was wrong. The house was completely silent. With a sinking feeling in my gut, I called out to my wife and daughter, but there was no answer. I moved quickly through the house, desperately searching for them, and as I approached the bedroom..." his voice cracking and his eyes filled with tears, continued to speak to Stella. "As I entered the bedroom, I was hit with the horrific and gruesome scene of my wife and daughter's beheaded bodies, stripped and their bloodied heads hanging up on the ceiling. A chill ran down my spine as I noticed the words 'welcome home, daddy' written with blood on the walls. I was unable to move, unable to breathe, unable to do anything but stare at the horrific sight and let out a primal scream of grief and despair" Drake, taking another sip of wine. Stella's face betraying a sense of shock and sadness, continued to listen to Drake's story, clearly empathetic to the immense pain and grief he had experienced.
Drake took a moment to compose himself before continuing his story to Stella. "I saw a skull with a dagger pendant on the floor, and I quickly recognized who had committed this heinous act. After I buried my wife and daughter, I hunted down the bandits one by one, i spent years searching for them, my thirst for revenge overpowering my grief and anguish. Until I had slain every single one of the bandits responsible..." his voice filled with determination and grief, continued to speak about the years he had spent hunting down the bandits, his actions fueled by the love and loss he had felt for his wife and daughter. Drake's voice still filled with grief and pain, turned to stare at Stella and said "One day, after years of hunting, I finally confronted the bandit king, the leader of the bandits and the one who had ordered the brutal killing of my wife and daughter. But he had now retired and lived a peaceful life with his wife and children. But I could not let him escape the consequences of his actions, and I gave him the same treatment that he had given me. I took his wife and children from him, just as he had taken mine."
Drake's voice still tinged with grief and anger, continued to speak to Stella, finishing the tale of his revenge. "As I swung my blade, the bandit king spoke, his words burning like fire in my ears and my chest. 'You will never find peace,' he said. At that moment, I knew that it was true, that my pain and suffering would continue even after fulfilling my revenge. Still, I knew that it was something that I must do. I ended the bandit king's life, leaving him to meet the same fate he had enacted upon my wife and daughter." Drake's voice was still heavy with emotion, he took another sip of wine and handed the bottle to Stella, who also took a sip of the wine.
As Stella and Drake continued to sit in the prison cell and drink the red wine, Drake suddenly told Stella to take a rest and let him do the watch. "Stella, you've been on watch for some time now," Drake said. "You should take a break and get some rest. I'll watch over for a while." Stella, grateful for the chance to finally get some rest. Stella, settling into the makeshift sleeping mat, turned to Drake and spoke to him in a soft and gentle tone "Someday, you will find peace, Drake." She smiled at him, hoping to offer him some comfort and reassurance in his time of pain. Drake, took a moment to study Stella's expression, her kindness and compassion touching him, his face still filled with grief and sorrow, gave a small smile and nod of appreciation in response. With that, Stella settled in for her rest, and Drake continued his watch. Drake, keeping to the schedule they had set, woke Stella and Silvertongue after resting for a while, telling them that they needed to keep moving and continue their search for D'arce. After waking up and feeling restored from their much needed rest, Stella and Silvertongue prepared for the continuation of their journey. While traveling, they noticed that their energy was low and hunger pangs gnawed at their stomachs, Stella took bread from her bag and handed it over to Drake and Silvertongue, offering them a quick and simple bite to eat during their journey. Silvertongue, as usual, voiced his opinion when offered a single bread for the meal, questioning Stella's selection and wishing for something more filling and savory to eat. Silvertongue, not satisfied with the bread that Stella gave him, said "What? Just bread? No meat? Ale? Candle light?" Stella looked at him with an annoying expression, having expected him to be grateful for the food that she brought.
Drake, who had been quietly observing the exchange between Stella and Silvertongue, looked up and frowned at Silvertongue's comment. Seeing the way his was making demands and looking down on Stella for simply offering them something to eat, he couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. He turned to Silvertongue and spoke up, saying "How about my fist going inside your mouth?" Silvertongue, who had been caught off guard by Drake's sudden outburst, quickly switched his tone from demanding to apologetic, he said "Oh relax, I was just joking, no need to get serious, Drake, you angry Mr. Sellswords Man. Just kidding?" Drake, who was still annoyed at Silvertongue's comment, couldn't help but chuckle despite himself. Silvertongue, realizing that he had made a mistake in his approach and hoping to diffuse the situation, continued to speak "See? Just teasing. Don't take it to heart." Drake, still offended by his mockery and the way he had looked down on Stella, looked over at Silvertongue and narrowed his eyes at him, as if daring him to say anything else. Stella, who was still feeling hungry but had noticed that things seemed to be escalating between Drake and Silvertongue, decided to try to diffuse the situation. Stella turned to both of them and said "Enough, you two. Can we just enjoy this bread, even if it's not enough? Please?" Silvertongue, who realized that he had upset Stella, quickly turned to her and said "My apologies Stella. I didn't mean to offend you. I was just teasing drake here with my earlier comment. But of course, I understand that the bread is all we have for now, so let us enjoy it." Drake, who had cooled down slightly and was also feeling quite hungry, grumbled a bit but nodded in agreement.
After the group finished the bread, they gathered themselves and continued their journey, taking stock of their remaining supplies as they went deeper inside the dungeon. The dungeon's dark and foreboding atmosphere seemed to fill the air with a sense of dread and trepidation, making them feel as if they were constantly being watched and followed by a malevolent and otherworldly force. As Drake took the lead while holding a torch carefully navigating the dark and dank hallways of the dungeon, Stella followed closely behind him, carefully taking in their surroundings while trying to stay alert for any signs of danger or trouble. Silvertongue, who had been silently humming a strange tune to himself, followed closely behind, his face still devoid of any emotion. The group moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing as they made their way deeper into the dungeon, the atmosphere of the dungeon hanging heavily around them, their progress slowed by the fear and caution that they felt with each step. The group pushed forward, determined to reach their destination and find D'arce.
End Of Chapter 3