Prologue


The old man coughed, blood flecking his lips and staining the frills on the white shirt he wore "it is a grave error I have made my son... The things I have done for them..." another wracking cough shook his wasted frame "the dragons have had me at their beck and call and I need you to change things... Make things right" his breathing was ragged as he weakly squeezed the hand of the blonde man sat beside him.

The younger man ran a hand through his hair, the tattoos on the left side of his face moving in the light of the single candle that lit the cabin of the ship, his home for more years than he cared to recall "you have always turned a profit for the crew captain" he answered his nose wrinkling at the stench of sickness and impending death.

"you are an idiot my son if you think money is all that matters" the old man barked harshly blood staining his teeth red as he bared them at the young first mate. "there is a debt that has to be paid... A debt you owe me and now I am calling... it... in!" he gasped, the vitality that animated him just moments before fleeing as quickly as it came.

The blonde man snarled and snatched his hand away from the old man, his captain, his father, his very compass. "You passed the ship on to Craven... That mewling piss pot and then ask me to do you a service?" anger changing his face, a glint of something dark in his eyes... Something not quite madness... But dark as a moonless night... Cold as an icy stream and as risky as a sharpened razor in a shaking hand.

"yes" the old man answered his eyes taking on a glassy sightlessness "Go to Greenest... Make... Things... Right..." what little breath he had left bubbling through his lips, his chest falling and rising no more...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chapter 12 - A figure on the horizon

Image
As they crested the first hill a single figure could be seen coming back along the same route that the army had taken, it appeared to either be wounded or old as it was leaning heavily upon a staff and making slow progress. "We should investigate Hrodulf" Morfindion whispered needlessly as the figure was still too far away to hear what might have been said. Hrodulf grumbled saying "the quicker we get this over with the quicker I can get back and try my luck with Linan" at which Morfindion looked at him as if trying to work out if he was being serious or not. As they closed the distance it became clear that the figure was a woman, relatively young but injured with a ragged bandage wrapping her leg and bruising starting to appear beneath one eye. "Ho friend!" Morfindion called out once the distance had been almost closed "you look as if you have been in the wars... What news have you of the road ahead?" I  hear that you intend to follo...
Read more

Chapter 11 - The Hunt...

Image
Morfindion looked out at the fields that surrounded the southern side of the village of Greenest, the rolling hills and copses of trees, a look of bewilderment on his face "How are we going to track them down to their encampment?" he asked of no one in particular. Hrodulf looked at him sceptically and then laughed, a laugh that came from deep within his belly and filled with genuine mirth "You aren't joking are you? Where have you been living all your life? in a cave or something?"he asked the haughty looking Elf. A twitch, almost too small to see appeared on Morfindion's face as the question hit an apparently raw nerve but Hrodulf ignored it saying "Well if I am going to be doing the tracking I am definitely going to be having all of the reward... what are you here for? Muscle?" he said with a feral grin enjoying the wounded look that briefly lit the Elf's features. "There is a trail Elf, one that even a blind man might be able to...
Read more

Chapter 6 - When is a door not a door?

Image
A cold fury burned within Hrodulf's eyes, a twitch pulling at the muscles of his face as he adjusted his grip on the axe he named Grimnir. He rose silently and charged towards the group clustered at the door, action being the answer to the question Morfindion had asked. Grimnir whistled as it rent the air cutting the thread of life from one of the cultists and burying itself in the neck of a Kobold. Morfindion followed up behind and once he got close launched a spell that covered the other human with a green spray that caused him fall to the floor jerking and spasming in his poisoned death throes. The remaining Kobolds seemed to not quite understand what was going on until it was too late, Grimnir swung again, rending the air, drinking their blood and spraying it across the rear door of the temple. Two more lay dead at Hrodulf's feet, no sound issuing from his lips that were drawn back from his white teeth. Morfindion stabbed at one of the remaining Kobolds cutting ...
Read more