An eternity of desolation stretched out before him as Rivyn ran across crunching, arid earth. He had no means of determining his location, nor how far away any city might be, and he was unable to remain still. A week of hard training had significantly improved his stamina, and so he now was able to run at a even gait. His body was light and strong, so much more capable than just a few weeks ago when he had been confined to that wretched dungeon.
And this loneliness gnawed at him, but it did not stop him. From time to time, he stopped to catch his breath and he looked at the horizon in anticipation of a sign of at least something generally civilized, if not life. But all he was able to notice was just open space, sometimes disrupted by some dead tree or even a bunch of pointed rocks. The wind was very snappy, with almost a smell of something putrid inside.
What kind of place was this, he thought frowning, and wiped the sweat off his brow, and how much further was he going to have to walk before finding anything at all.
His mind wound its way back to the bar he'd escaped from-the bodies beneath the rubble, the ground stained with blood-something bad had clearly happened therein, but he had no idea what. Whomever was responsible was long gone by the time Rivyn emerged, but the scene haunted him nonetheless.
After hours of running, interspersed with intervals of walking, Rivyn suddenly saw something strange, far ahead, in a distance-a flicker of movement, low to the ground. He went suddenly still, going to a crouch low to keep himself hidden, and squinting for a good view. His heart fluttered as he realized what he was staring at.
Gigantes.
A few of them in this pack, hunched over and moving with animal-like precision, their mottled gray skin furthered into the tone of the surroundings. Long, clawed appendages ended in razor-sharp talons gleaming in the midday sun. They were not large but moved with speed and in coordination, obviously hunting.
Rivyn cursed under his breath. He wasn't looking for a fight. Not yet, anyway. Steer clear of them, he warned himself. Don't engage unless you have to. His strength had grown manifold over the past week, but he knew better than to press his luck against creatures that traveled in packs.
He crept quietly around the group, keeping his distance and low to the ground. It was so much easier to be stealthy with his enhanced agility, but every crunch of dead grass beneath the boots felt like shards to the chest. Rivyn's gaze didn't once leave the creatures as they went about whatever it was that engrossed them-possibly hunting, or scavenging-but he didn't care enough to hang around and find out.
It is but needful that I should pass them, he thought; then I could keep about.
As Rivyn crept farther away slowly, the monsters fell behind and their movements grew fainter. The sudden release he felt was almost a rush of relief that he was not being forced to test his new strength against them.
But that moment of peace did not last, for soon Rivyn was to spot another animal: different, alone, larger, and assuredly dangerous. Its twisted form was scaled in black, its eyes aglow weakly red as it stalked across the desolate landscape. Rivyn's heart raced as the beast fixed its gaze on him.
Not a way out of this one, he thought, his hand clenching on the dagger he'd retrieved from the bar. It wasn't the best weapon, but it would have to suffice.
A low growl rumbled from its throat and it leaped at him in an attack, its muscles rippling beneath its skin. Rivyn moved instinctively, dodging the initial attack and slashing at its side with the dagger. The blade bit its scales, leaving hardly a mark.
"Dammit," Rivyn growled, dodging as it swiped at him razor-sharp claws. This needed to end now. With his new strength and agility, he was not quite prepared for any kind of length battle-damned sure not with a dagger little more than adequately sharp to tear through the thick hide.
It sprang again, and Rivyn was ready that time. He rolled aside and in one continuous motion thrust the dagger into the back of its neck. Letting out a shrill shriek, it fell to the ground twitching wildly a second before it lay still.
Rivyn hissed sharply as the dagger pulled free, smearing the blood across its scales. Well, that could have gone a little better, he thought wincingly as he examined his arms. The scratches weren't deep, but they stung.
He knew he couldn't take many more of these. Rivyn wanted better weapons, but most of all, he had to find some kind of shelter before night was out-the things around here were perilous enough in the daytime without adding the extra risk from out of the darkness.
Hours turned into more hours, Rivyn trudging, dodging what monsters he could, cutting down the few he couldn't. His stamina, while much improved, was wearing thin. He was hungry and thirsty, he needed to sleep, but in every direction lay nothing.
It wasn't until his hopes began to die that Rivyn finally saw anything on the horizon: a border, faint yet unmistakable in the distance. His heart leapt in his chest. It wasn't much, but it was a sign of civilization-of people.
He did not tarry. Re-gathering his energies, Rivyn ran as hard as he could toward the border, his legs on fire, yet his mind certain for the promise of safety. The closer he came, the more he could discern the details: guards stationed at the entrance, upright and attentive to their job.
By the time he reached the border, Rivyn was puffing, his chest rising and falling with every heavy-laden breath. Two guards stepped forward, looking at him suspiciously.
"Hold it right there," one of them yelped. In an instant, the man was towering over him, broad of shoulder, a scar running down his cheek, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his side. "Identification?"
Rivyn froze. No identity, nothing to identify himself, his origins-so much as his name. His heart fell. Of course, he thought bitterly, the obvious response being: why would anything go easy?
"I. I don't have any identification," Rivyn said; his voice was hoarse from disuse.
The guard's eyes narrowed, and his knuckles whitened on the hilt of his sword. "No identification? Then it's five silver for the entry fee.
Rivyn winced. Five silver: It was near half of what he had left. He'd found 15 silver in that pouch back at the bar, and to lose a third just to get a peek inside stung deep.
What was he to do?
He fumbled in his pouch, counting out the silver coins and handing them over to the guard. "Here," he said grudgingly. Dammit, that hurts. The guard took the coins and nodded. "Alright, you're clear to enter." He stepped aside, allowing Rivyn to pass through the gates.
Where am I? Rivyn couldn't help but ask as he stepped past the guards.
The guard looked at him with mild surprise. "You don't know? You're in the Empire, lad. One of the biggest and most powerful countries in the northern region. Welcome."
But it was no country; it was an empire-the strongest in the north. The Empire sprawled in a huge area and was a dreamland with military might and influence, smitten to overflowing with wealth. The capital was a bustling metropolis that housed the largest guilds, academies, and trading centers in the entire region. The Empire received a great flow of adventurers, scholars, and merchants from all sides for seeking fortune and glory.
Yet the source of true power in this empire was that it controlled one of the Towers.
The Towers-fantastic, otherworldly structures, erupting literally from the earth, which appeared quite literally overnight many hundreds of years ago in several different locations around the world, literally bursting from the earth with cataclysmic force-smashed everything in their wake, flattening cities and eliminating any trace of life. Nobody knew whence they came or why, but full of ferocious monsters and untold dangers they were.
Only a few countries of the northern region had such luck-or misfortune-of having a Tower inside. Among those had been the Empire, and that had allowed it to tap into its potential, to access great power and resources. The Tower was a testing facility for adventurers; whoever dared could climb up to the top floor in search of various treasures and to obtain strength. The Tower had, however, been simultaneously a source of both power and danger: monsters flocked from the depths of the Tower, threatened to overflow into the lands. Only the elite of the Empire's forces, joined by the effort of adventurers, held them in check.
Only two countries in the north had ever held control of a Tower, of which the Empire was the largest and most powerful; the second was a small, more militaristic nation to the west. For a country so small, it had managed to carve out its own influence by means of its control of its Tower.
And then there was the third Tower: the one belonging to no state.
Lying in a most desolate region, far from the towns and any place of human activity, it was very much more hazardous. When it appeared all of a sudden, nothing could be done in due time for its securing or control. Out of it terrible monsters swarmed out, drowning everything around and turning it into a desert.
Nobody was that brave to approach it, and even fewer of the ones who tried ever came back. Rivyn's heart sank as he registered what he was being told. The Empire, he thought, he had not planned to come here, but perhaps it was meant to be this way.
Velira was long gone now, and even if he went back, he firmly believed there was nothing left for him. His shop was probably seized, and all his equipment and savings taken. But here in the Empire, he had the chance-a chance to grow, to train, to be more than a blacksmith. At least it was a chance, hazardous, yes, but at least this Tower offered a perspective: one of power.
And if he wished to grow stronger and live longer, he'd have to grasp that danger for what it was and confront it head-on. Money was going to be a problem; it pained him to admit. He was down to a few silver coins, insufficient for very long, and he would need to make so much more if he were going to get by in the Empire, let alone thrive.
He clenched his fists where resolution had gathered in his chest. First, find a place to stay; then, to the Tower. A spark had been lit within his mind with the mention of the Tower, and what more was the inside going to bring? The System had given him so many chances: it had saved his life, helped him get stronger, and now brought him up to this point in life. The possibilities were endless.
A small smile oozed across Rivyn's face as he prepared to make his way toward the city, a determination in his heart.
Thank you, System-he thought, silent gratitude to whatever force gave this to him. I won't blow this chance.