A Tavern in the South of Falconera Village
A strange man entered, as if emerging from the jaws of a beast. His blonde hair was stained with blood, and he wore a bear's skin with the bear's head resting atop his own. Hans watched calmly, drawn to the commotion around him as the man moved between tables, the patrons' eyes following him like sharp swords.
The man approached the bartender's counter, his eyes glimmering with anxiety, and said, "Help me with anything you've got."
The bartender replied proudly, "Pay up before I serve you anything."
The man pulled out a handful of silver coins. "Will this be enough?"
The bartender took the coins and brought him some fine food and drink, but the eyes in the tavern were tearing the man apart with their stares.
"What happened to you?" the bartender asked, surprised.
The man, absorbed in eating, wiped the mud from his face and answered, "I'm an adventurer, exploring dangerous areas in search of treasure."
He mentioned that he had visited Wampiri Village, a place shrouded in mystery and strange happenings, which piqued his curiosity.
"When I arrived," he continued, "the village was empty. I felt something strange… like something wanted to kill me, just like here in the tavern."
The bartender laughed. "Interesting story. I bet you tripped a few times there."
The man replied, "What happened there was beyond imagination."
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a shout from among the patrons. A large, wounded man stepped forward from the crowd, his white skin gleaming like a mirror in Hans's eyes.
With a firm tone, he said, "Wampiri Village is my home. How dare you claim they aren't human?"
The strange man laughed. "If they're human, they're the strangest humans I've ever seen."
He drew an axe from his belt, causing the bartender to shout, "If a fight breaks out here, Bazel will find out!"
But the man returned the axe to his belt and went back to his table.
Just then, the man dropped his wine glass, his face turning purple. The bartender smiled at the sight, and as the tavern turned to look, the atmosphere shifted. "He's dead!" someone shouted, filling the room with fear.
The bartender took the coins from the man's pocket and found gold coins. Spitting on the man, he muttered, "You have gold, yet you pay with silver? What a miser." He then ordered the tavern guard, a huge man with a single arm, to remove the body before returning to his spot.
Hans felt a rush of terror, but he tried to mask it with his hat. He whispered to himself, "This is the start of the adventure." He was already planning his escape from this madness.
Just as he stepped outside, feeling somewhat safe, an old, bald, and frail man grabbed him from behind. Hans nearly stumbled in surprise as the old man swiftly snatched his coat. Hans yelled, "Give me back my coat!"
The old man laughed mockingly, "What's a university boy like you doing in a place like this?"
The old man pushed Hans, who stumbled, then noticed the man's peculiar hand and examined him closely. "What is this? Magic?"
Hans replied calmly, "I was a university student. Now, I'm an adventure writer."
The old man smiled. "And what do you write?"
"My adventures," Hans answered.
The old man looked him over as if examining something unusual. "Black hair, green coat, short… You're no adventurer."
Hans replied, "I'm just getting started."
The old man chuckled. "Beginner, huh? Why don't you head to the Wampiri Swamp? That would be a thrilling start."
Hans cried out, "It's terrifying! I can't do it!"
The old man, challenging him, said, "Why call yourself an adventurer? They say there's wealth there. Come back alive, and you can call yourself an adventurer. And if you survive, bring me a bit of coin for some clothes."
He then walked away, his backside swaying, adding, "You're a mage, a mage of the pen. You can handle these matters."
Hans thought to himself, covering his eyes for a moment as he realized he'd been staring at the backside of a nearly-naked old man.
He sat on a stone and whispered, "An opportunity to start my adventure." The memory of the poisoned man returned to him, and a shiver ran down his spine. He slapped himself and said, "Hans, you ran away from Roxon for this… to be an adventurer."
Hans gathered his belongings and set off toward Wampiri Village, a five-hour journey south. "Wampiri Village… A strange place in the middle of a swamp."
Hans grimaced at the stench along the way. "826 years to pick a location, and this is what they chose? Some people think like idiots, just like that fool Roxon."
The Wampiri swamps, named after the village, had a pungent odor that intimidated anyone approaching. The area was filled with two-headed insects that spat luminous yellow saliva on the winding path.
As he walked, Hans began to tell himself stories, ignoring his fear and the smell, smiling as he recalled his two years with Roxon. "Two years wasted on that lunatic noble," he muttered. "Made me a worthless writer, documenting his history and his absurd magical fantasies."
Suddenly, he heard a faint noise from the surrounding trees. He turned quickly to find himself facing a bizarre creature, part wolf with a two-headed snake. Hans took a step back, whispering, "The Viper Lover."
Trying to avoid a fight, Hans realized the creature was staring directly at him, ready to attack.
In a tense moment, Hans grabbed his notebook and pen.
The creature let out a terrifying roar before leaping toward him, but Hans managed to dodge just in time.
Hans whispered, "The Viper Lover… So I'll fall in love with adventure as the Song of Elements says." He scribbled in his notebook as the creature lunged at him, ripping a page and turning it into an electric bolt, striking the Viper.
Hans did a victory dance and shouted, "Get ready, adventures, for Hans Canar has arrived!"
The Viper began to shiver, surprising Hans. "It's not dead yet?" Hans muttered, fleeing and leaving the creature trembling from the shock.
As he continued, the two-headed insects scattered, and the trees seemed to form a gate. From a distance, he could sense the swamp's sinister embrace tightening around him, filling him with unease.
From a distance, he understood the reason for his dread. The swamp loomed around him, like it was enveloping him, increasing his sense of discomfort.
He stepped forward and shouted, "Where are you?"
No one answered. The area was filled with eerie dolls staring at him. He kicked one but found only more strange dolls.
Uneasy, he had no time to wallow. He entered one of the houses, pushing the dolls aside and taking some food. As he ate, he glanced at a strange doll holding an arrow. "What are these dolls? Why do they frighten me?"
Upon discovering the arrow was poisoned, he began to wonder about the mystery of this place. "Why is there poison in an arrow held by a doll?"
As he walked through the village, he saw a group of dolls resembling farmers, holding hands as if waiting for something.
Hans muttered to himself, "This is getting weirder."
The sun began to set, and the dolls around him seemed ready to devour him.
Approaching a large house in the center of the village, he felt something strange in the air.
The house looked centuries old and abandoned, but shadowy figures began to move behind its broken windows. He paused, his heart racing as he tried to summon his courage.
"Am I imagining things?" he whispered to himself.
Examining the ancient walls, he noticed strange details. The carvings on the doors told bizarre stories.
In one carving, a hooded man walked with farmers towards the swamp, leading to an ancient castle.
"What is this?" he whispered.
He entered the house, where eerie paintings depicted terrifying scenes. He saw one painting of the hooded man playing with dolls, and another of him removing a child's head.
Hans whispered, "I'm here to grab what I can and escape like nothing happened."
In an ornate room, he found a black chest. As he touched it, old memories flooded his mind. "The smell of blood, just like in my past." He opened the chest, finding gold and silver coins inside. He took some, but suddenly noticed a doll moving, depicting an old man holding a dagger.
In shock, he realized, "Time to get out of here."
Hans sprinted away from the village, heading towards the swamp.
Night had fallen, and the sun had set.
But in his mind, he heard strange sounds.
Looking back, he saw the dolls coming to life, moving in eerie ways, wielding weapons as if hunting him.
Filled with terror, he screamed, "What now? Why did I trust that bald old man?"
Then, a sound came from behind him, rushing towards him… to be continued.