Chapter 2

II

At the Redborough docks in Port Legas, a company of four strolls along it’s crowded alleys. A small boy, looking no older than twelve years of age was at the head of the group with his hands behind his head and humming a tune.

“My feet hurt… Let’s take a breather at that shack over there!” squealed the young one suddenly.

Apparently he wasn’t heard by the other three as two of them were in a heated argument.

“I still say we head south after we pass Diremeadows, that way we can make it in three days.” said one.

“The old trail in Diremeadows is riddled with bandits and whatnot, your three days may turn to weeks if we keep running into trouble.” said the other.

“Hello! Excuse me! li’l kid very tired here! You can finish your debate over there! Come on Dom I know you want to get out of this sun, come on!” and the little one grabbed one of the three by the arm.

“Huuurmm…” came the only reply from the hulking individual that is being dragged along by the lad.

The two others followed and they took a seat in one of the benches under a tent outside a tavern. After ordering some ale they went right back into discussing.

“We can take on any trouble we encounter on that trail. We need to go to Diremeadows for supplies and such. Our supplies won’t last us another day, you know that as well as I do Zel.”

Zel looked like a seventeen year old young man. He wears a loose fitting long-sleeved, turtle neck jacket with straps dangling from several areas in his garment.

“Tsk, you do have a point Kirn, but I sincerely hope we don’t encounter anymore trouble, anymore delays and…” Zel glances over at Dom “someone might blow his top off…” his voice barely above a whisper.

Dom just cleared his throat and tapped impatiently at the wooden table with his clawed fingers. Kirn eased up on his chair and took a sip of his ale. He then combed his drawn back mane of silver hair with his leather gloved hand revealing an insignia of a dagger and flame.

“Aight! Lemme just finish this cup down and we get back on track!” exclaimed the little one and guzzled down all the ale in one go. He had a big grin on his small face framed by hair that can be likened to a flame with white linings.

They were preparing to leave when a commotion was heard from the other end of the long tent. Chairs and tables were being upturned, people being pushed and shoved aside. The source of the racket was a group of boorish men. They scowled, growled and bear their rotten teeth at anyone that looks them in the eye.

They bypassed the Zel’s group and headed inside. They stopped at the bar and the head of the group lumbered over to the bartender and gave him his most menacing look.

“Hey you, old man! It’s pay day! Cough up the pieces or I cut you to pieces.” the man snarled.

The bartender nervously withdrew to a room at the back. While they waited the gang looked around the tavern and its patrons. One of the brigands spotted Zel and his group outside at the corner of the tent. He nudged the leader and pointed at the four.

“New blood…” the leader said gruffly.

They walked over to the four and surrounded them. Then the leader stepped forward and hovered around them.

“I think you fresh meats need to be briefed on the rules in these here parts. See, if you want safe passage, you gotta share a few shillings savvy?”

The four seated looked at each other. The little one seemed to not understand the situation and had a quizzical look on his face. Zel gave a concerned look at Dom who sat silent at his place. Kirn however had a mischievous smirk on his face. Zel tried to reason with them.

“Gentlemen, I must apologize but we have no shillings aside from the ones we already used up for our drinks and what little provision we have. I’m afraid we have nothing to sh-“

THUNK

A dagger whizzed by the side of Zel’s head and stuck itself to a nearby post.

“Who said anything about sharin’” wheezed one of the gang men.

“As I said to the old man, cough up the pieces or I cut-oohmp!”

In the next instant Dom whirled around in a foot sweep tripping the leader and making him fall forward. And just as he was going down, Dom swung his fist upward and smashed against the jaw of the man. He eventually reached the floor wriggling and screaming muffled profanities. The other men stepped back and drew their swords.

Dom then rose from his seat and the men stepped back even further when they saw Dom’s full height of seven and a half feet. He put back the hood of his drab cloak and revealed fierce yellow eyes that stared menacingly at each of the brigands as if they were hapless prey.

“I have had just about enough!” snarled the seven footer.

His snarl revealed fangs instead of teeth and a low growl came out of him as he stepped forward to face the brigands. His companions were still sitting on the table, the little one still confused, Zel shaking his head in dismay and Kirn looking amused.

“Easy there Dom, we don’t want any trouble here, lets just leave.” said Zel.

“GRAArgh! I can’t take anymore of this filth! It assaults my senses! The streets, the buildings, the turds everywhere, and most especially these turds in front of me, they reek the most!”

“Dom please… Kirn… you are enjoying this aren’t you?” said Zel glancing over to Kirn who has a sadistic smile already on his face.

“Actually, I would prefer if I were to be in on the fun.” replied Kirn that evil grin becoming more prominent.

Zel hung his head and gave a long sigh; he then stood up and came up beside the towering figure of Dom.

“Oh well, as much as I want to avoid this I guess there is no stopping you guys. So let’s just make these quick and not much frills please.”

“D-don’t look down on us! We’ll c-cut you d-down!” stuttered one of the men.

“I sure hope you are able to entertain us.” taunted Kirn.

“You joinin’ Hikaru?” called out Zel.

“Hmm? So we gonna be fighting now? Uwah! I haven’t stretched my muscles for quite awhile.”

Hikaru jumped down from his chair and started doing small stretches in front of the gang. Then, in the next instant Hikaru suddenly rammed his knee right into the gut of the nearest ruffian and sent him doubling over. He then spun around into a mid-air roundhouse kick and drove his heel into the back of the man’s head. He was unconscious even before he hit the wooden floor, which splintered on impact.

Before anyone else could react Kirn appeared behind two of the gang men. He grabbed them by the shoulders and pushed down hard. The men shattered their leg bones and broke their shoulder blades as Kirn forcefully embedded them through the floor. Squeals of pain can be heard from the two.

One man lunged at Zel with a dagger but he parried it with his right arm and using his left elbow smashed the nose of the brigand.

Two gang men tried to team up on Dom, as one tried to jump on him from a table Dom caught the guy by the face and squeezed, his clawed fingers digging deep into the man’s face. He then incapacitated the other by hurling his clawed feet right into the adam’s apple of the hooligan. The man fell down retching and coughing up blood. Dom proceeded to throw the ruffian in his grasp out through the tavern entrance.

After a few moments when all was quiet fifteen brigands were either sprawled on the floor, stuck through it or on the walls or have been thrown out into the streets. As the dust settled the company of four straightened themselves out. Suddenly they were mobbed by a mix of patrons and passers by that saw the spectacle.

“That was some bloody marvelous moves you got there sire!” said one

“Those low-lives had it comin’!” said another.

The commotion went on but eventually the place settled down and patrons filled the tavern again. They seem to not mind the mess that was around them, with the bodies of the brigands everywhere.

Zel made his way through the crowd and came up to the bar. The bartender which turns out to also be the owner of the tavern thanked them gratefully.

“We apologies for the mess we made.” said Zel

“Unavoidable, don’t mind it. I would prefer paying for the repairs on my tavern rather than paying to those goons.” said the bartender who introduced himself as Gwynioh.

“They think they own the place just because the constabulary isn’t making as much rounds here as they do other places.” said one of the men at the bar.

“How come?” asked Kirn, sneaking into the conversation.

“Merchants, those rich bastiches keep on hoggin them guards to keep an eye on their properties.” said Gwynioh.

“Don’t used to be this way, them guards frequent these here parts, but word is merchants are scared o’ something and gettin’ as much shields round them as much as their pockets can muster.” said another patron.

“In any case, won’t you fellas be staying over for a little while? Here, drinks on the house!” declared Gwynioh.

“Thanks but we need to be heading out soon, it’s a long ways to the hill castle.” said Zel.

“Hill castle? Oh, you mean Castle Azuria! Very fine place that castle is, town is good too, but when you see the main castle nothing else seems to compare.” on went Gwynioh.

“Sounds like a real nice place, anyways we got to hurry, Diremeadows is still half a day’s travel.” said Kirn.

“Uh sires, forgive my seeming rudeness but by any chance are you planning to take the old trail by Diremeadows? Sir… uh…”

“Oh, it’s Zel Firedust, and yes, we are taking that route.”

“If I may suggest master Zel, take the Drunmir Pass instead of Diremeadows, it is less likely you will encounter trouble there and it will quicken your voyage by a day.”

“But we won’t be able to come across any town if we took that route.” said Kirn.

“Ah, this is Kirn Diablo. And I think my comrade is right, if we don’t come across a town I don’t think our provisions would last.”

“Then allow me to provide you with enough supplies to sustain you all the way to Azuria.”

“Oh no, we really shouldn’t. I mean look… We have done a lot of damage to your little enterprise receiving supplies from you is a bit too much.”

“As I said, it is unavoidable, we are glad you got rid of those scoundrels. The floors can be fixed or replaced. This is a token from me and the locals here, ain’t that right lads?”

And a simultaneous roar of cheers came from the whole tavern.

“No worries then, we rest a bit, get geared up and set off before the sun sinks into yonder mountains. Hopefully we hit the forest of Drunmir by nightfall.” said Kirn gleefully.

And so the four did just that, resting up as the bartender readies their provisions and gathering a few more information regarding their passage through Drunmir Pass en route to Castle Azuria.

A few hours passed and Gwynioh went over to the company’s table and told them that their supplies have been ready and that an errand boy will be guiding them until they reach the pass.

“Then we shall be taking our leave now. We give you many thanks for this generous act.” Zel said.

“And we thank you as well for ridding us of pests.” said Gwynioh, a big smile on his face.

“Until then master Gwynioh.” said Kirn extending his hand out to the bartender.

“Good journey to you sires.” answered the bartender, shaking Kirn’s hand enthusiastically and also taking the hands of Zel, Dom and Hikaru.

And so the company left Redborough and continued with their voyage towards Castle Azuria. They were accompanied by a lad until a fork on the trail; one leading to Diremeadow and the other into Dunmir Pass. They gave the boy a few shillings for his troubles and they set off into Dunmir Pass.

“Well that was interesting; food, information, added provisions and some punching bags, this has been a good day.” Kirn said, cracking his knuckles.

“I would have preferred we not cause any more incidents like that, we are strangers in this continent, no telling what is around the corner.” Zel said.

“I for one am glad we got out of those filthy streets.” said Dom, “Ahh, the good ol’ fresh scent of the wild.” whiffing at the air around him.

They casually strolled along the path and talked of trivial things. Dom was noting that trees were mere saplings compared to the grand groves of his homeland in Terra. Zel glanced over his shoulders and saw Kirn staring behind them.

“Hey Kirn, you alright? You’re lagging.”

“Oh it’s nothing, just marveling at the scenery.”

“The lad said we should be hitting the entry way into a glen before nightfall so we should camp out there for the night and take on the glen first thing in the morning.”

“Well then, let’s pick up our pace. No time to be lingering around now.” said Dom

“Yes, yes I’m comin’.” answered Kirn.

The group went on, Kirn peered over his shoulders one more time before joining up with the group.

Among the hedges two shadows not cast by the forest lurked.

“You think he saw us?” asked one of the shadows.

“Unlikely, but he definitely sensed something.” answered the other.

“Then let us call off the observation for now, they might pick up our presence.”

“We resume once they pass the glen.”

“Agreed.”

And the shadows vanished; the forest once again sits still with the exception of the branches dancing in the slight breeze.