Creative Writing Happy Fun Novus Writing Time!

I'm in the process of writing a very lengthy piece based on a D&D game I played back in high school. It's a fun endeavour, because I consider the plot the best I've come up with yet. I'm noticing, however, that it's a bit slow-going. I've got eight chapters done so far, and I'm not through the intro which was originally a tutorial for the players (who had never played before). I have, of course, added bits to make it more readable.
Anyway, I figured I'd share with the few in the audience who might be bored enough to read, so I'm going to post a bit.
By the way, I apologize to the few of you who read my other piece, A Question Of Vengeance, back in the day, because this has taken precedence over the sequel to that.

Chapter I - The Festival

It was a warm spring morning, and throughout the streets of Wingflame, the people cheered. It was time for the annual celebration, the Festival of the Seed. A celebration of life, of nature, of the blessings bestowed upon the people of their little island by the benevolent gods above. There was singing and dancing in the streets. Children ran and laughed, brightly-coloured streamers trailing behind them, their parents calling after them to be back for dinner. Musicians, poets and actors played their trade in the town square, amazing young and old with their feats of skill and delight. It was a grand party in Wingflame, and the guests of honour were about to arrive.
It was about noon when the great ship arrived, its white sails spread in the distant wind of the sea. In moments, it had arrived at the little port and its hands had it tied to the dock. A ramp was cast down from the deck to below. A trumpet sounded from above, its royal heraldry cutting clear and fine above the din of the festival. The guests were about to ascend. Little by little, the people began to leave the attractions in the square to see the newcomers. It was not long before the square was deserted, and a great crowd had gathered at the base of the dock.
The people of Wingflame had never seen royalty before; a tiny island of farmers and fishermen in the centre of an immense sea was not the ideal destination for kings and princes. A murmur began to erupt from the gathered crowd as they stared at the immense ship.
Abruptly, the muttering ceased. A long, single note came from the unseen horns, and at the top of the ramp there emerged a pair of men in ceremonial blue-and-gold armour, each carrying a tall halberd, the flag of the Great Western Empire trailing from its peak. Solemnly, the two began to slowly march down the ramp, their mail plinking with each great step.
Next, four more men appeared, each wearing an ornate costume of blue and gold bursting with frills, feathers and flair. Each blew on a shining golden trumpet as he marched, playing the grandiose theme of the Empire.
Finally, another ceremonial guard on each side, there stood an old, white-haired man with a long, elegant beard. He wore glimmering robes of expensive cloth, trimmed with furs, and topped by a great feathered cap, adorned with jewels. Duke Patrick Markham, the official representative of the Royal Family. The Duke waved regally to the populace as he and his entourage proceeded to the square.
By this time, the performers had all left the square. Indeed, most of them had joined the common folk in watching the Duke’s arrival. Climbing atop the large stage that had been assembled for this occasion, the Duke was greeted by Sir Thomas Chaney, governor of Wingflame Island. The two shook hands amiably, and turned to face the people, who had again gathered at the base of the stage.
“My beloved people of Wingflame,” Sir Chaney began. “it is again that most cherished time of year, the beginning of Spring, and the time of the Festival of the Seed!”
The people cheered. “In a few short days,” the governor continued. “it will be time for us to once again take to the fields to sew the land with the seeds given to us by the gods above. It will be a season of much hard work and tremendous effort, but the oracles assure me that this year’s harvest will be the best in years!”
Again, the audience applauded. “As the gods decreed, ages ago,” Sir Chaney went on. “in the mandates passed down by our fathers and their fathers before them, we shall give life to this island of Wingflame as it gives life to us, its people! But the time for work is still ahead. Now is the time for rejoicing, for this is not an ordinary year. This year, as you are all aware, marks the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Festival. To that end, His Majesty the King Belias Alexandria the Fourth, has personally sent to us his representative, Duke Patrick Markham, to oversee the year’s festivities!”
The crowd cheered once more. When they had hushed, it was the Duke’s turn to address the people. “Citizens of Wingflame, my compatriots, sons and daughters of the Great Western Empire, on behalf of the Royal Family and His Majesty the King, I greet you and give you my praise. It is My honour and my privilege to be hear on this glorious day in our fair Empire’s history. It was one hundred years ago, on this very day, that your ancestors and mine landed on this very island, and, under the blessings of the Lady of Forests, the beautiful goddess Silva, that the grand farms of this island were founded.
The crowd erupted again into cheers. “But I am here, good people,” the Duke continued. “not just to celebrate a moment in history, but to celebrate you, the people of this lovely island, for it is your crops, exported in compliance with His Majesty’s wise orders, which feed our soldiers, Imperial sons and daughters like you or I, on the front lines against the most vile foe, the Archlich Sandro of the Dark Republic! With your continuing aid and support, our victory against Sandro and his minions shall be swift, and justice shall be brought to the east!”
At this, the crowd roared in an unprecedented display of cheer and patriotism. Calls of “Hail Alexandria”, “Long live the King” and “Down with Sandro” struck the stage with concussive force.
“But now, my people,” the Duke went on, hushing the roaring masses. “it is my duty and my joy to announce to you that, in addition to the annual festivities of the Festival, there shall be an additional event. Under mandate from His Majesty himself, it is here, in Wingflame, that this year’s Noble Contest of Champions shall be held.”
The crowd grew hushed in awe. The Noble Contest of Champions, more widely known as the Contest, was said to be one of the greatest occasions of sport in the Empire. Each year, adventurers from all across the Empire would gather in a specified location, charged with the task of tracking down a miscellany of odd and rare items in what could best be described as a scavenger hunt of the epic scale. To the winners, a bounty from the King himself, and to the losers, nothing but the sting of defeat.
“To this year’s champions,” Sir Chaney said. “the privilege of serving the Empire as the Lord or Lady of on of our country’s states. The contestants shall arrive tomorrow afternoon. I trust you will all show them the traditional Wingflame hospitality. Until then, let us all share in the spirit of the season, for it is the Festival of the Seed, and the gods smile on us again!”
Again, the crowd cheered, and burst instantly back into the song and dance of the morning’s party. The children forgot to return home for dinner, but the parents did not notice, for they forgot too. The minstrels played they instruments, the poets recited their epics, and the actors performed they dramas. And that night, after the sun had hid behind the distant horizon of the sea, the people all slept and happily dreamed of the Festival and the Contest to come.

 

Very well written. I'm impressed that you didn't over describe the events, but I was still able to clearly visualize everything you talked about. Can't wait for the rest!

 

I was trying to be pastoral or something like that. It's really a prologue.
The rest takes on a different tone, since I use first-person narration from here on.

Chapter II - The Contest

It was a warm summer morning when the ship arrived. The vessel boldly slid across the waves and pulled into the Wingflame harbour. As I stood on the deck, the crew was in a flurry of motion around me, finishing the last bits of whatever it is seamen do to dock an immense ship in a tiny little harbour. Not far away, I could see the Duke’s personal vessel, the Imperial flag high on its mast.
As our ship finally finished docking, others began to join me on deck. As I approached the ramp that had been lowered to the dock, I was engulfed by a miscellany of others like myself: wanderers, vagabonds, raiders, explorers, warriors, outcasts, soldiers, wizards, adventurers. Our motley crew began to descend from the boat, and, upon leaving the dock, we were met at once by a cheering and yelling mass of villagers. It was only with great difficulty that we managed to make it to the town square.
As we gathered in front of the immense stage, two finely-dressed old men took a position in the stage’s centre to address the crowd and the new arrivals.
“Good afternoon, citizens of the Empire,” said the first, the thinner of the two. He sported a short white beard and stood slightly hunched over. By the coat of arms on his coat I identified him as none other than Duke Markham. “we are gathered here today to initiate a tradition as old as time, the Noble Contest of Champions!” The crowd cheered, nearly deafening me.
“I would at this time,” said the second, a man visibly younger than the Duke, but visibly wider as well. I could only assume he was Sir Chaney, governor of Wingflame. “ask our contestants to step forward so that we may address them directly.”
Slowly but surely the crowd began to peel back from us as we stepped forward.
“The twenty-five of you,” the Duke continued. “have been gathered here for reasons we all know. You seek honour, fortune and glory in a time-honoured contest of skill and bravery. The gods have favoured you thus far, as it is you who have been selected from thousands of entries to compete in this year’s contest. You represent a diverse variety of skills and experiences, coming from all walks of life. When you arrived on this island, you may have been a soldier, a knight, even a farmer, but one way or another, when you leave here at the Contest’s closing, you will all truly be heroes!”
At this the crowd cheered. We even cheered. When the roar of the crowd died down, the Duke continued to speak.
“And to this year’s victor, this shall be doubly true, for the prize to be awarded to this year’s champion is a true position of honour in the Empire’s service as the lord of one of our provinces!”
Again, everyone screamed cheers.
“Now,” Chaney said. “we will reveal to you the details of the Contest. As you surely already know, you will each be given a list of items for which to search here on the island. You may search anywhere on this island for these items, and may use whatever means you see fit to gather them. You may combine your efforts with other contestants if in mutual agreement. The first contestant, or group of contestants, to gather each item and present them to myself or the Duke for inspection and verification will be the winner, and the contest shall at that point be closed. In the event of a draw or a group victory, the prize shall be shared among the parties involved. Prior to joining the Contest, you each also were required to register any equipment you would need. All of your registered equipment has been sent to the local inn, where a room has been prepared for each of you.”
“A list of the required items is provided for each of you in your rooms,” the Duke said. “But, it would surely not do to keep your kind hosts in suspense, so I shall reveal the list right now. You must seek out: a magical healing potion, the stinger of a serpentfly, a seashell, three red berries, a ceremonial brazier, a chunk of obsidian and an antique tapestry. Finding some of these articles shall be simple, others shall be more difficult. I wish you all luck and the favour of the gods in your endeavours.”
The crowd cheered again.
“The contest begins immediately,” Sir Chaney said. “I suggest you begin at the inn and pick up your supplies. Good luck!”
The crowd cheered ferociously as we exited the square and made our way toward the inn.

 

It's keeps getting better and better. I'm really glad you have an original plot. I was worried that like most D&D based stories, this would have a really predictable storyline. I'll admit a scavenger hunt isn't quite what I expected, but the more I think about it, the more I love the idea! I might even steal it for my own campaign. (Of course I'll give full credit to you though.) Can't wait for the next chapter!

 

I have to give credit where credit's due. I actually adapted the idea from the start of Might & Magic VII. Of course, I rewrote it, as adaptations go. Anyway, chapter 3 will go up tomorrow, and I'm finishing writing 9 tonight. It's good to know someone likes this.

 

Can't wait!

 

This is where the plot starts to pick up, and where I start to have more fun.

Chapter III - The Contest Begins

It was early in the afternoon when we reached the inn. At this hour, the place was deserted; the locals must have been out enjoying the festivities. Behind the well-stocked bar there stood an immense, bulky man with a shining head and a matching glass in his hand. He polished the vessel with a small cloth and seemed quite taken with his work. It was not until one of us, a stout, bearded dwarf, addressed him that he even seemed to notice our presence.
“Good sir,” rumbled the dwarf in a deep, throaty voice. Still, the innkeeper seemed not to notice us. “Good sir!” the dwarf growled again, louder this time, with an obvious note of indignance in his voice. At last the innkeeper looked up from his glass and examined the group.
“What can I do for you fine visitors on this fine day?” the innkeeper asked, a quite jovial tone in his voice. “You’re not from around here, I can tell,” he said as he looked us over. “Did you come to see the festival? I heard the Contest is being held here this year!”
“We are the Contest,” growled the dwarf. “We are the contestants, that is. We were told to come here to check into our rooms and get our stuff.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” the innkeeper said, finally setting down his glass and cloth and giving us his full attention. “I had heard you’d be coming by. I was instructed to prepare a room for each of you. I believe you will find our establishment to be quite fitting of such brave adventurers as yourselves. In each room I have included ...”
“Spare us the details!” thundered the dwarf. “Just tell us where we can pick up our stuff so we can start this Contest already.” Much of the group muttered its agreement.
“Of course, of course,” the innkeeper said, trying his best to stay cheerful. “Each of your rooms has been specially fitted for your individual needs, and you will find your registered equipment waiting for you. If you will tell me your names, one at a time, now, I will give you each your rooms.”
There was a short scuffle as several of the group members tried to work their way ahead of each other, eager to begin. A tiny halfling girl tried to sneak her way passed the dwarf, who picked her up by the back of the shirt and tossed her to the back of the group.
“Rurik Ironhelm,” the dwarf growled, slapping a large palm on the bar, which stood only slightly lower than his head level.
“Mr. Ironhelm ...” the innkeeper muttered as he fiddled with something behind the bar. At last he produced a small iron key. “Room twenty-eight. First floor, down the hall, on the left. Next?”
In turn, each of us was served and given our keys. Names were boldly stated, and each contestant stalked down the halls of the inn in search of their rooms and belongings. Finally, it came to my turn.
“Ahren Impavi,” I said.
“Ahren Impavi ... Ahren Impavi,” the innkeeper repeated, audibly fumbling with a few papers behind the bar. Finally, he handed me a small key. “Room twenty-six. First floor, down the hall, on the left. Enjoy your stay!”
I thanked the innkeeper and marched down the hall to my room. I could hear the dwarf shouting to himself about something next door. I opened the door to my room and stepped in, closing the door behind me. All I could do was try to block out the noise as I examined the objects assembled before me.
The room itself was fairly small, but considering the accommodations I was used to in my line of work, I was really impressed. In the corner of the room there was a small wooden dresser, on top of which I could see a piece of paper with writing on it, no doubt the list of items for the Contest. There was a small glass window in the wall. The bed was covered in a light blue blanket, and looked very soft and inviting. I was so used to sleeping in common rooms and barns around the countryside that this seemed like the lap of luxury.
In the centre of the bed, assembled in a neat pile, sat my equipment. I could see another sheet of paper next to that, an itemized list of all the equipment I had registered for the competition. I picked up the list and looked it over. It looked complete enough. I picked up my backpack and began to gather the items. Three days worth of trail rations, a length of rope, a grappling hook, a quill pen, a vial of ink, three pieces of parchment in a scroll case, my rapier. At the bottom of the pile, I found the most important item of all: my mandolin.
That instrument was not only essential should I hope to ever earn a decent living on the road, but it was the only thing I had to remind me of my parents. Well, the mandolin and my name, of course. My parents both died in a famine in our hometown years ago. I was the only surviving member of my family. Our ravaged home was abandoned by just about all its citizens, and I eventually left with whatever I could carry, all of which was now gone, save the mandolin. My father had played in his youth, and he taught the art to me in my youth. As I travelled around trying to carve out some kind of existence in the Empire, it was only my ability as a musician that allowed me to get by.
I tossed the backpack over my shoulder and then slung the mandolin overtop by its strap and opened the door. I hoped to get an early start on the competition by setting out immediately, but it was apparently to no avail. The dwarf lumbered passed my door, grumbling something guttural as he went, no doubt cursing in his native tongue. As I entered the main room of the inn, I could hear him arguing quite loudly with the innkeeper, something about a lost hammer. I continued past the two and out the door, back into the town.
I figured that it would be best to start my search by looking for the simple items: definitely the seashell and the berries. I had no clue where to find most of the other items, and did not even know what a serpentfly was.
The beach was not far from the inn, so I decided to walk down the road to find myself a seashell. Although it was a warm day, the beach was deserted. Most of the citizens must have been in the town still enjoying the festival. I saw up ahead a large shell, like that of a conch, seemingly sparkling in the sun. I ran towards it and bent to pick it up, but was shocked to see the body of a young woman lying face-down in the sand next to it, out cold.
Turning her over, I could see she could be no older than sixteen, and also that she was quite beautiful for her age. A brief examination also revealed that she was not dead as I had originally thought, but was very near to it. I quickly tossed the seashell in my back and grabbed the girl in my arms, running back to the inn.
I burst through the doors again and placed the girl gently on one of the empty tables.
“This girl needs help!” I yelled at the innkeeper, who was still arguing with the dwarf. “Send for a healer! Send get a priest! Get a doctor! Get ... something!”
Both stared at me in shock for a moment. Then the innkeeper shouted at the dwarf. “Don’t just stand there! Get some water! I’ll go get the healer!”

 

Nice, very nice. You have a very interesting character developing. I'll enjoy seeing him advance through the story. I have some questions. (You'll probably answer them later on in the story, so you won't have to now. I'm just brainstorming "outloud.") Why was a musician chosen for the competition? I mean he came from an obviously poor, probably unknown town (as his family died of famine) so where would he get a reputation as a fighter or at least a competitor? He seems competent with the rapier, so that might have something to do with it. Not much has been revealed about his personality, so what is he really like? What made him decide to join the competition? What's up with this girl on the beach? Hmmmm. . . By the way, where do you come up with your names? I hate making up names, but I really like your character's name Ahren Impavi.

 

Okay, I had just written a fun and entertaining reply that answered all your questions and more, but then Explorer f___ed up and it was lost. Suffice it to say that all will be revealed in time.
Names are symbolic for me. Even my own name, which my parents picked just by chance, has deep meaning to me. I spend time researching important characters before I name them. A lot of the mains in this work, however, have pre-made names (from original characters played by friends of mine) which I just play with.
Anyway, here's chapther 4 ...

Chapter IV - The Healer

“Ah, you’re awake!” I exclaimed as her eyes began to open. “She’s awake!” I yelled down the hall, jumping to the open doorway of my room at the inn. I stepped back over to the bedside.
“Where ... am I?” the girl uttered, her voice still weak.
“You’re on the island of Wingflame,” I replied. “You had quite a nasty spill out there, I have to say. When you’re feeling better, perhaps you’d like to talk about it.”
“Wingflame?” she repeated. “I ... made it ...”
As she lay in the bed, still weak from her recovery, her long, brown hair trailing about her head, she seemed delicate and weak somehow. Nevertheless, she still seemed to be trying to move.
“Now, now,” rasped the old healer, leaning on his cane in the doorway. “You’d best just stay right there, missy. While you were out, I managed to clean you up with a bit of my own special blend of herbs and spices, but there’s no way you’re in any condition to be getting out and about right now.”
“No ... I have to get to ...” she protested, then coughed weakly.
“What you need right now,” the healer continued. “is a good rest. This young fella was kind enough to help you get this far, but there won’t be helpful strangers like him forever. No sirree, you’re just gonna lay there and rest and you’ll be on your feet in no time.”
The girl was about to protest again, but I cut her off.
“Really, I’m sure you’ll be back to your old self, whoever that is, in no time,” I urged her. Now that I knew she would be alright, I was anxious to see her settle down so I could resume my hunt for the items. I had already lost several hours in aiding the healer and doing whatever I could to help this mysterious girl recover, and I was sure the other contestants were all way ahead of me by now. “Listen to the healer, and just rest here, don’t worry about a thing. I’ve arranged the innkeeper to provide meals and all that for you while I’m out, so you can just relax and get back on your feet.”
“Not so fast,” the healer said, raising his cane at me for emphasis. “She’s going to get better, I’ve seen to that, but still, she needs someone by her side in the unlikely event that she takes a turn for the worse. You’ve got to stay right here and make sure she’s alright!”
This time, I was about to protest.
“No ‘buts’, either,” the healer croaked, leaning on his cane as he turned to go. “It’s vitally important that neither of you go anywhere, or we’ve both wasted our afternoons saving a lost cause. It’s not a pretty thing to say, but it’s true. Until her recovery is complete, you’re not to go anywhere, and that’s final.”
With that, the healer ambled out of the room and down the hall, taking my hopes for the Contest with him.

 

That's gotta suck. Should've left her on the beach. Just kidding. Wonder how he'll catch up to the other contestants. Hmmmmmmm. The girl appears okay, but the healer seems to think there's a possibility of her worsening. Interesting. She seems to be in an awful hurry. Perhaps that was more than just a light, refreshing swim. Curious, very curious.

 

I finished writing chapter 10 last night, so I'm back on track. Anyway, after much delay, here's chapter 5.

Chapter V - Miyu

The healer had left the inn, leaving the girl and myself alone in the room. As I stood there for a moment in silence, a sense of regret came over me. If I had to wait by the bedside for this youth to recover, I would lose valuable time against my competitors, and the Contest surely would be lost. I stood there staring, a scowl on my face.
“You make this seem like it’s my fault,” the girl said, looking up at me. “You know, I didn’t exactly ask to wash up from the sea onto some island, barely alive.”
“No, I guess not,” I heaved a heavy sigh. “But it’s just ... never mind. I guess it’s my own problem.”
For another moment we were both silent again. I tried to soften my expression.
“So what were you doing out there anyway?” I asked. “What happened to you? Why were you floating around like driftwood, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Well, I do mind you asking,” she replied harshly.
“Whoa, calm down, there,” I said. “I’d just like to know a little more about you. I mean, I’m supposed to be looking out for you and all, but I know absolutely nothing about you.”
“Well,” she replied, sounding weak again for a moment. “you did save my life, so I guess you’re entitled. I was ... well, I was fleeing the Republic.”
A look of shock came across my face. The Empire had a strict policy on accepting refugees from the Republic. Imperial Security was more than a little paranoid about letting anyone into the country from our rival nation, fearing that anyone could be a potential spy.
“No wait,” she said, a slight hint of panic in her voice. “It’s not what you think. I’m not just another refugee!”
“Than who are you?” I asked.
“Hold on a second,” she replied. “Why should I even trust you? How do I know you won’t just throw me at the authorities and tell them I was fleeing the country?”
“If I wanted to get rid of you, don’t you think I could have done it already? If saving your life isn’t enough to make you trust me, I don’t know what is.”
She sighed, admitting I was right. “Could you at least tell me your name?” she asked weakly.
“My name is Ahren Impavi,” I answered. “Traveller, minstrel, and, well until recently, adventurer. But that’s not the issue. You, young lady, have some explaining to do.”
“Alright,” she replied. “My name is Miyu. I don’t know if you’re going to believe me or not, but I’m actually a citizen of the Empire.”
“Then what were you doing in the Republic?”
“Well, that’s a long story, but I guess you deserve to know. My family lived for generations in a small hamlet up north. It was more or less a farming community, but my father was a local merchant responsible for negotiating trade between our village and the nearby cities. Not too long ago, a group of bandits came to our town demanding that we give them tribute, and for a while we all had no choice but to do what they ordered. We were too far from any of the larger cities to get any kind of aid, and we were just farmers, so we couldn’t defend ourselves.
“But after a few months of torment,” Miyu continued. “the some of the villagers decided they had had enough. A few of them refused to pay their tribute, and then the bandits got really angry. They left, grumbling, but came back a week later in force. They set fire to the town and all the crops. They ... they killed everyone. My friends, my family, everyone. I only escaped because my father helped me hide behind a pile of rubble before they killed him.”
By now, tears were streaming down her face, but still she continued. “From my father’s body they stole his medallion, the only thing of value my family ever owned. It was a family heirloom that had been passed down for generations. I heard the bandit leader say to one of his underlings that this was the last village they were raiding, and they were going back to the Republic. I decided to follow them, hoping to find a way to either steal back the medallion, or ... negotiate to get it back.”
“But I take it things didn’t go as you planned,” I interjected.
“No ... no, they didn’t,” she continued. “Just after crossing the Republic border, the bandits turned south along the highway. I followed them until they came to a port town on the Great Sea. They were planning on getting on a boat to Shadowspire, farther south. I knew I’d have to get on that boat or I’d never catch them. I managed to sneak on the boat in a wooden crate. I figured I could sneak up on the bandits the night before we came ashore and get back the medallion. Then I’d just have to find a way back to the Empire.
“Halfway through the journey, however, the boat was attacked by pirates. Most of the carbo was taken, and then the ship was destroyed. As far as I know, I was the only survivor. Clinging to a piece of the shipwreck, I managed not to drown, but as I drifted around, I eventually must have lost consciousness. The next thing I knew, I was in here.”
Once again, that look of panic came on her face. “I don’t know whether you believe me or not, but please don’t tell the authorities that I’m a refugee. I don’t know what they’d do to me. I’d never see the light of day again!”
There was something in her dark eyes as she spoke that made me believe her. Still, her fear of the police told me she was hiding something. I didn’t feel like pushing her, though.
“Yeah, I guess I believe you,” I said. “But still, I wish that ... aw, forget about it.”
“You obviously have something on your mind,” she said, turning over in the bed. “You just keep muttering to yourself, and I starting to feel like it’s somehow my responsibility.”
“Well, I guess there’s no point in pretending I don’t care,” I replied. “The fact is ... well, I assume you know about the Noble Contest of Champions?”
She nodded, and I continued. “Well, the Contest is being held right here on Wingflame this year. I was somehow lucky enough to become a contestant, and I was looking for the items when I found you. Since the healer ordered me to look out for you, I’ve pretty much lost any chance of coming anywhere close to winning.”
“Oh, so that’s what you meant when you said you used to be an adventurer.”
“Exactly,” I went on. “As much as I hate to give up on winning, I can’t just turn my back on you. Even though I’ve known you all of a few hours, I feel like you deserve better than to be pulled back from the brink of death and then just left on the edge.”
“The Contest, huh?” Miyu muttered. “What was the prize this year again?”
“The winners become lords of a small province, or something like that. Why?”
“Well, I was just thinking,” she said with a thoughtful tone to her voice. “I’m actually feeling a lot better. What if I got up and you could continue the Contest?”
“Out of the question,” I answered. “The healer gave strict instructions that I keep an eye on you. Really, it’s for your own good.”
“That’s what I’m saying,” she insisted. “I’ll come with you. That way you can still win the Contest, and you can keep an eye on me if you really want to. Besides, I feel like I owe you since you pulled me out of the sea and I’ve caused you so much trouble.”
“Well, I hate to jeopardize your condition, but the prize is too big to just throw away ... but, no, no way. It’s bound to be a dangerous trip, and I don’t want to have to save your life again.”
“Hey, I’m not just some defenceless little girl!” Miyu snapped, turning back over to look at me as she spoke. “I survived on my own tracking a bunch of bandits for weeks without them finding me. I looked out for myself, without anyone helping me, all the way since I left my town. I slipped onto a crowded ship without anyone even noticing that I was there. It’s not like I’d be a burden to you.”
I thought about it seriously for a moment, and realized she did have a point. If her story was indeed true, then she definitely had skills that would be useful in the Contest. Besides, I’d need all the help I could get to make up for lost time.
“Alright,” I said. “Welcome aboard.”
Miyu cheered and immediately shot up out of the bed. The sheets fell off her body as she moved. “I know no one will be able to stop the two of us!”
Then she noticed I was averting my eyes as she spoke to me. Then she noticed that she was naked. She grabbed the sheets off the bed and held them tight around her.
“Where are my clothes?” she shrieked. I pointed at a dripping pile of tatters in the corner of the room.
“They got a little beat up by the sea,” I said, walking towards the door. “Don’t worry. Just try to get a bit more rest to be sure. The first item we’ll have to find is some clothes for you. Lay back down, and I’ll be back as soon as I’ve found something.”
Pulling the sheets back around her and laying down again, she nodded in agreement. I left the inn with a bounce in my step. I was back in the game.

 

:shy: Hehehe. At least he was decent enough to look away. Yeah, he's back in the contest, I was wondering how he'd overcome this predicament. Hmmmmm. He lost his family and she lost her family. . . Twenty bucks says these two get married! Just kidding.

 

Oi, I'd never do something like that! That'd be cheesier than gouda. Besides, there's no way Ahren and Miyu would ever ...
or would they?

 

Here's chapter 6. There was a sort of irrelevant little bit in here, what I called a "side-quest", basically a little side-trip detouring away from the main story. There's going to be more of those later on ... Anyway, I could put up the sidequest if the demand presented itself, but it should be fine without it.

Chapter VI - Competition

At length I returned to the inn, finding Miyu waiting for me. She was sitting up on the bed, the sheets wrapped tightly around her. Strewn about the floor were the still-soaked clothes the healer and I had peeled off her body when I had first discovered her.
“You’re back,” she said, looking at me as I entered.
“I am,” I agreed.
I silently set my backpack on the dresser and reached inside, pulling out the clothes I had just bought: boots, a mismatched pair of gloves, a shirt, a small skirt, a dark cloak and a belt. I tossed the garments to the bed, where they landed in a pile next to Miyu.
“Put these on,” I said. I walked back to the door. “I’ll be back in a minute,” I said as I closed the door behind me.
I walked back to the common room and approached the innkeeper. A mixture of contestants and locals were beginning to filter into the seats, ordering drinks, shouting and laughing. It was still not busy, and I had to give Miyu time to dress herself, so I decided to try to get a little information out of the innkeeper.
“Good evening, Mr. Impavi,” he said as I seated myself at the bar. We had gotten to know each other a bit during the last little while, as he insisted on doing whatever he could to help while the healer tried to revive Miyu. “What can I get for you this evening? I heard the girl is awake. That is quite good news, I must say. But I digress. What would you like?”
I pressed a few silver pieces on the bar, more than enough to pay for a single drink. “A mug of ale,” I said. “and a little ... pleasant conversation.”
“Right away, sir,” he said, sliding the coins into his pocket. He filled up a mug from one of the kegs behind the bar and set it down in front of me. “Here is the ale, but I don’t know how well I shall provide conversation.”
I chuckled to myself. “I just want to know how the Contest is going for some of the others. You’re quite a social man, so I figured you might have heard a thing or do they wouldn’t want to tell a competitor.”
“Oh!” the innkeeper gasped, as if he had just realized that I was bribing him for information. “Of course, some of the other guests have been kind enough to have a word with me in their few spare moments, but I can’t betray the trust of another ...”
I was a little taken aback by this. I thought the innkeeper to be a cheerful, friendly, if a bit simple, man, but here he was trying to force me to give him a heavier bribe. Begrudgingly, I took out the rest of my silver, leaving me with only two gold pieces left in my coin pouch.
“But of course, I love to gossip,” the innkeeper cheerfully took the coins. “There has actually been a bit going on, it seems. Most of the contestants have found the berries and the seashell, of course. Those are simple things, but there are three contestants who stand out among the rest.
“First,” the innkeeper said, after pausing for a moment to refill a patron’s glass. “there is a dwarf. Surly fellow, he is. A bit of an ***, you might even say. Rude, even for a dwarf. Smells bad too ...”
“Get to the point.”
“Of course. As I was just saying, he seems to be doing fairly well for himself. Not only has he already found the berries and shell, but he’s also gotten a hold of some obsidian. The only place I know around here where you could find obsidian is the ruined temple up north, but I can’t imagine how he could have gone in there by himself and come back to tell the tale. They say there’s terrible beasties up there. Terrible beasties, and old traps left by whoever built that temple in the first place.
“There’s this other fellow,” the innkeeper continued. “A dark elf, I believe. Deep-blue skin, black hair, red eyes, the whole bit. I can’t say you see a whole lot of them in these parts. He was a lot more well-mannered than I would have thought, too. From what I hear, dark elves normally just go around causing trouble, but he was even kind enough to tip the barmaids when he was in earlier. Anyway, this dark elf, I can’t recall his name, mind you, he has found himself a ceremonial brazier. Oddly, reports of one being stolen from the local chapel has been going around town this evening. I, for one, think he probably stole it somehow, but the contest rules said to get the items any way possible, so there’s nothing the authorities can really do.
“Finally,” he said, pausing to catch his breath and scratch his bald head. “there is one last person. A tall, dark man. I haven’t seen him much since he registered, but he came in during the afternoon and I managed to learn that he’s doing even better than the others. I don’t know what he has found yet, but he seems confident in an impending victory. Still, I get the idea that he doesn’t even really care much about the prize itself. When we were talking, I tried to learn a little bit more about him; I make it a point to learn a little bit about all of my guests. I couldn’t even get him to tell me his name, though, let alone anything else. He did say he was going to the ruins, though. I guess if you really want to win this thing, it can’t be avoided.”
It occurred to me that we had been talking for a long time. I decided I should get back to my room to speak with Miyu. Thanking the innkeeper for his time, I quickly drained my ale and returned to my room.

 

Yeah, I love dark elves! They're so fun to play in D&D. Anyway, so our hero has some competition. Hmmmmm. Wonder how Miyu will help. The plot thickens. Dun, dun, dun! :anime:

 

Chapter 7's here. Some of the audience was very excited when I wrote this one. It was a lot of fun for me too.

Chapter VII - Nighttime Escapades

I knocked on the door before entering. When Miyu had yelled that I could enter, I opened the door. She was sitting on the bed again. This time, however, she was dressed, and the sheets lay on the floor next to the bed. Her old clothes were back in the corner again. The new cloak was sitting on top of the dresser.
The sleeves of the shirt ran down to halfway between her elbows and wrists. The top couple of buttons were left undone. The dark, leather skirt seemed a bit small for her, clinging tightly to her body and only nearly reaching her knees. The boots were a perfect fit, and she wore the belt loosely about her waist. The empty scabbard looked a bit odd, but with my limited funds, there was little I could do about that. She had pulled her dark hair away from her face by some unknown means. Fully dressed for the road, she now looked like most of the other woman adventurers I had ever met, although she still looked a bit younger than they did. It wasn’t unusual for someone to start freelance adventuring at her age, which I presumed to be about sixteen or so, so I didn’t have to worry about anyone thinking I had, in fact, found a refugee from the Republic.
“You look good,” I said. “Ready to go, at least.”
“One of the gloves didn’t fit,” she commented. “and I had to salvage certain ... pieces from my old stuff.”
“It’s getting late,” I said. “It looks like most of the other contestants are settling down for the night, too. We’ll get going in the morning. We’re a bit behind the others, but I’m sure we can catch up, between the two of us.”
“It is a bit late,” she muttered, looking out the window. “I guess we should just try to rest up so we can get as much done tomorrow as possible.”
“Just what I was thinking,” I replied.
With a yawn I dropped my backpack on the dresser and set my mandolin next to it. I stretched out on the floor as Miyu did the same on the bed, pulling the sheets back over her body. I murmured a good night and closed my eyes to rest.

Before I continue with my tale, there is something which you must note. The rest of this chapter was not witnessed personally by me. As it turned out, Miyu had plans in mind other than sleeping the night away. I guess having rested all day such a thing is not inconceivable. There may be some embellishment involved, for, as I later learned, Miyu certainly had a creative way with words, and a more creative way of sorting out facts. At any rate, the rest of this chapter I am writing based on the story Miyu told me herself some time after the Contest had ended.

After several minutes had passed in the darkened room and she could be sure I had fallen asleep, Miyu silently rose from bed and stepped over my sleeping body. Taking the cloak from the dresser, she drew it close around her body and pulled the hood over her head. Carefully opening the window, she climbed through and into the alley beyond. Quietly, she closed the window behind her, making sure she did not wake me.
Thinking hard, she tried to recall some of the items she had seen on the Contest list. I had found her washed ashore at the beach, so she inferred that I would already have the seashell. The only other items she could recall were the healing potion and tapestry.
Sneaking through the ample shadows of the dark summer night, she managed to work her way to a very large manor that could be seen from our window: unbeknownst to Miyu the residence of Sir Chaney. In search of an antique tapestry, she began to seek an entrance.
Chaney’s manor was surrounded by a tall wall of brick, a large wrought-iron gate the only visible means of entry. Not so easily daunted, Miyu found a nearby tree and pulled herself skillfully into the upper branches. With grace and ease she vaulted onto the top of the fence. Seconds later she had lightly landed in a crouching position behind a hedge.
Now inside Chaney’s courtyard, Miyu heard the footsteps of a guard walking along on the other side of the hedge. Needing a means to distract the guard in order to reach the house itself, she picked up a small stone and tossed it some distance away. The guard drew his sword and ran in the direction of the noise. Quickly, Miyu moved from her hiding place to another hedge, this one closer to the building.
When she had made sure that the guard was a safe distance away, she dashed from the hedge to a small but stout tree and climbed into its leaves. She was now close enough to see through a first-storey window. Inside, Chaney sat in a large chair with an old man who I assume must have been Duke Markham, though Miyu would not have recognized him. They appeared to be talking and laughing over some kind of drink.
Above, Miyu could see another window, though there was no light coming from inside. Deciding this would make a suitable point-of-entry, she jumped from her tree into another a short distance away. Climbing higher into this taller tree, Miyu prepared to vault onto the ledge below the window.
Just as she was about to leap, a candle was lit in the room. One of Chaney’s servants entered the room and walked to the window. She looked outside for a moment, and Miyu made an effort to draw her dark cloak even closer to her body as she tried to slink further into the cover of the tree leaves. Just when she thought she had been spotted, the servant turned to a shelf on the wall, grabbed a large book and exited the room, taking the candle with her.
Now was Miyu’s chance. She leapt onto the ledge, and with great effort pried the window open. Slipping through, she tried to see what was in the room through the thin light the moon cast through the window. The room appeared to be some kind of study, and there were bookshelves lining the walls. A large desk stood near the window. Deciding there was nothing of interest in the study, she crept for the door.
Glancing into the hallway, she made sure that there were no guards around. Cautiously entering the hallway, her eyes had to adjust to the torchlight. Just as she was making her way to another door, a guard stomped around a corner. Miyu ducked instantly behind a potted plant, hoping desperately that the guard would not notice her. Luckily, the guard seemed tired, working the night shift, and he yawned audibly, then stomped back down the hall from which he came.
Opening the nearest door revealed an immense room with still more bookshelves. High above, moonlight filtered in through a large bank of windows. On the far side of the room there stood another desk, its outline clearly visible against the backdrop of still more windows behind it. The most interesting feature was behind the desk itself: a great tapestry with the royal insignia embroidered in the centre hung like curtains from the windows.
With all of her strength, Miyu slid the gigantic leather chair from behind the desk against the wall. She climbed first onto the seat, then onto the back of the chair, bracing against the wall for balance. With a slight tug she freed the tapestry from its trappings and pulled it with her to the ground. Sliding the chair back to the desk, she rolled the tapestry and slung it over her shoulders. It was a lot heavier than she had expected, and she knew that getting it out of the manor would be a lot more difficult than sneaking in.
The windows of this room did not appear to have any means of opening, so she decided to retreat back through the study. Silently stealing away, back into the hall, Miyu ducked once again behind the potted plant. Making sure the hall was clear once again, she darted back into the study, and right into another servant.
Together, the two fell to the floor in a heap, colliding with one of the bookshelves and sending tome after tome piling on top of them with a crash. The sounds of guards plodding towards the study could be heard from the hall.

 

Chapter's longer than I thought ...

Chapter VII, part 2

Before the bewildered servant could even cease being dazed, Miyu had gotten back to her feet and run to the window. Giving up on stealth at this point, she forced the window open and leaped out, back into the trees and then onto the ground. She managed to get back on top of the fence, Chaney’s dogs fast at her heels, when the beasts were called off. She overheard Duke Markham yelling something at Chaney’s men about the rules of the Contest, and then all the guards returned to their posts, Chaney protesting loudly as he and the Duke returned to the manor. Relieved, Miyu climbed down from the fence and heaved a heavy sigh.
Deciding to go back to the inn momentarily to drop off the tapestry, she set out again. Hiding the tapestry amidst a stack of boxes and crates near our window, she headed out once again, this time seeking a healing potion.
It was not long until Miyu had reached the town square. Walking across the deserted square, she found the office of the same healer who had revived her earlier. Calmly approaching the back of the building, she found a rear entrance. The door was locked, of course.
Searching in a pile of rubble in a corner of the alley, she found a small, thin piece of metal, cylindrical in shape and coming to a point at one end. Using this makeshift tool she deftly picked the simple lock on the door and crept through a nearby door into the healer’s cellar.
There were racks of vials, bottles and canisters everywhere. Some were empty. Others contained powders, or an amalgam of ingredients for the healer’s various treatments. Others still contained an assortment of liquids of different colours, some bubbling and green, others murky and white, and some black and syrupy. Grabbing a few random bottles, Miyu silently left the building the way she came in.
Back in the square, Miyu examined the labels of the bottles in the moonlight. One was labelled “Instant Rat Poison: Just Add Water”. Another read “Cure-All: 45% Alcohol”. The final bottle contained a reddish liquid, and its label said “The Hero’s Savior: Potion of Healing”. She smiled to herself, reflecting on how easy this task was, and tucked the bottles into a pocket inside of her shirt.
Strutting back to the inn cheerfully, she noticed the first rays of dawn spreading from behind Chaney’s manor. She had been up all night, but did not feel the slightest bit tired. A big smile still on her face, could now see the alley which our room faced.
As she approached, a hand wrapped around Miyu’s mouth and a piece of sharpened steel was placed against her throat.
“I’m sorry ta haff ta do this ta ya, missy,” a thickly-accented voice rasped into her ear. “but these’re jus’ the rules o’ th’ game.”
“What are you talking about?” Miyu asked, panicking, as the hand slid away from her face.
“I saw ye go into Chaney’s place,” the voice rasped. “Now, one o’ our kind recognizes another, as the sayin’ goes, so I know ye came out wit’ somet’ing that ye didn’t ‘ave when ye went in.”
“You’re one of the guards?” Miyu inquired.
The assailant laughed. “No, I’m in this fer the same reasons as ye, I’d say: profit, glory, ye know, all that **** about winnin’ an’ all that.”
“You’re a contestant!” Miyu exclaimed.
“My, ye’re quick,” the voice replied. “O’ carse I’m a contestant. Why else d’ye think I’d really give two shits if ye robbed a bastard like Chaney?”
Miyu made no reply.
“So, I’ll tell ye what I think,” the voice continued. “Ye went in thar ta find yeself one o’ them tapestries we need for the Contest. An’ I think ye found one. An’ I know, missy, that ye’re gonna give it ta me if ye don’ want me ta slit yer pretty little throat.”
For emphasis he dug his dagger into her neck a bit, not enough to draw blood, but enough to prove his point.
“Alright,” Miyu reluctantly conceded. “I give up. It’s over there, in that alley.” She indicated one of the alleys approaching the inn.
“That’s a good garl,” the attack said, snarling. He dragged her into the alley.
“Let me go and I’ll get it for you,” Miyu said. “It’s hidden, and you’ll never find it on your own.”
For a moment, the attacker thought to himself. “A’right,” he sneered, lowering the dagger. “Go an’ get it.”
Miyu stepped forward and approached a pile of boxes, as if she intended to draw the tapestry from behind it. When she felt her attacker had let his guard down, she turned around and abruptly snapped her leg into his groin.
Stunned, the attacker fell to the ground, clutching his crotch as if he could ease the pain. His dagger clattered to the ground next to him. For the first time, Miyu got a good look at him. He was not very tall, and rather thin. His skin was dark blue and his ears slightly pointed: a dark elf. His clothes were need, save the footprint between his legs, and his hair was close-trimmed. He carried no pack or bag with him, so he was obviously not out plundering all night as Miyu had suspected. Picking up his dagger and sliding it into her sheath, Miyu stepped over to his body and gave him a kick in the side.
“I guess there is no honour among those ‘o’ our kind’,” she chuckled as she left the alley.
When she finally reached the inn, it was well past dawn, and the innkeeper was just opening up for the day. He spotted her walking by as he unlocked the front doors and waved.
“Hey, it’s Mr. Impavi’s little castaway!” he called. “Are you sure you should be wandering around by yourself? I understand you weren’t well not that long ago.”
“I’m alright,” Miyu replied, trying her best to sound like a cheerful young girl. “I just wanted to get some air, and Ahren needs his sleep.”
“Such a sweet girl,” the innkeeper said. “You remind me of my daughter when she was your age. Come on in, I’ll get you some hot tea, on the Contest bill, of course.”

 

Chapter VIII - Submissions

I awoke the following morning to quite the start, as I found that the bed was empty. Miyu was gone. Panicking, I looked out the window. Not seeing her there, I turned and bolted out the door to go look for her.
As soon as I entered the common room, I was immediately relieved. Miyu was seated at a table with the innkeeper, and both were drinking tea and chatting like old friends. I heaved a heavy sigh as I approached.
“Good morning, Mr. Impavi,” the innkeeper greeted cheerfully, setting his now-empty teacup down. “It seems the healer underestimated this girl’s natural ability to recover. She seems to have made a full recovery, in such a short time.”
“I went out for a walk,” Miyu said. “I would have woke you, but I thought you needed your sleep.”
Miyu drained the last bit of tea from her cup and set it down on the table. The innkeeper rose to his feet and gathered the two cups, taking them back to the bar.
“Well, my dear,” he said. “I wish you a good day. And you too, Mr. Impavi. I suspect you have a busy day ahead of you.”
“Of course,” I said, still a little dazed.
“Thanks for the tea!” Miyu said cherrily, getting up. “Ahren, when I was out I got you something.”
Miyu lead me outside to the alley just out our window.
“I felt kind of bad about making you fall behind in the Contest and all, so I got you a little gift.”
“Oh, come on,” I said. “I was just did what any decent person would do. You didn’t have to ...”
“No, I insist,” she replied. “You’ve already done a lot for me, even though you’ve only known me a short time. And, well, this isn’t something easy to say, but ... thank you.”
She paused a minute, looking down at her feet. Then she snapped back up, walked over to a small pile of crates and pushed one of them aside. From behind it she pulled a tapestry, rolled firmly, and she thrust it into my arms.
“Here,” she said. “I hope this helps get us back on track.”
I unrolled the tapestry. It was made of a very fine material, with embroidery well beyond the means of anyone I had ever known.
“Miyu,” I said. “I don’t know how you got this, but it’s just great. Now we’re one step closer to victory!”
“And that’s not all,” she answered.
Reaching into her shirt, she withdrew a small bottle of a reddish, bubbling liquid. She passed the bottle to me, and I read the label: “The Hero’s Saviour: Potion of Healing”. We were now well on our way to putting up some decent competition. I slid the potion into my pack, and was about to thank Miyu when she interrupted me.
“Don’t thank me,” she said. “Let’s just say we’re even now. Besides, now we’re officially partners.”
“Our next step, then,” I said. “should be to find somewhere to put this tapestry for the duration. Carrying this thing around is not going to be fun.”
“There’s another problem I can solve,” she replied. “This morning the innkeeper mentioned that Contestants can leave their items with one of the Duke’s agents so they don’t have to cart them around. We just have to take our stuff to the main stage in the town square, and they’ll take our stuff off our hands.”
“You know, if all the other contestants were as on top of things as you, we’d be in some real trouble.”
“Then let’s just consider ourselves lucky they’re not!” she piped. “Let’s go, partner!”
Together, we ran to the town square. The Festival of the Seed was still going strong in the town, and the square was starting to fill up as we arrived, the locals anticipating some kind of show about to begin on the main stage.
On one side of the stage there was a small desk, behind which a thin elven woman was seated. Above her a sign read “Contestants Check-In”. We approached the desk, and there were two other contestants in front of us.
The first contestant, a slightly below-average height man with blond hair stood with his arms folded and a blank expression on his face. He wore loose brown robes and a symbol of Pelor, the principal deity of Imperial religion, on a chain around his neck, the golden sun a stark contrast against the dull robes. By stories I had heard in my travels, I recognized him as a monk of the Pelor’s Dawn order. This was a monastic order dedicated to achieving perfection through personal service to the crown and the Church of Pelor.
At his side, I recognized the surly dwarf from the inn. He seemed to be in an argument with the elf over whether one of his berries could be submitted, as it was half-eaten. He was quite visibly agitated, unlike his companion.
“Calm yourself, Rurik,” the monk said in a somewhat flat voice as we reached the desk. “You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of the other contestants, and you are not accomplishing anything by yelling at this woman. Take a deep breath, check your emotions and continue.”
The dwarf exhaled heavily. “You’re right, Gafgarion,” he replied. “Still, I have three berries. I don’t see why I can’t just ...”
“Technically, you have two-and-a-half berries,” the elf interrupted. “I’m very sorry, but the Contest rules are very specific, requiring contestants, or teams, in your case, to submit three berries. No less. I’m sorry, but my hands are tied.”
The dwarf was getting aggravated again, and his hand was reaching for his hammer.
“It is not worth the trouble,” the monk said, placing a hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. “Let us simply submit our other items, and we will find another berry before we return. It is not as though red berries are hard to come by.”
“Arrgh, I guess you’re right,” the dwarf begrudgingly admitted. He reached into his pack and withdrew a large clam shell and a piece of black rock. “Seashell. Obsidian.”
“Healing potion,” the monk said, producing a small bottle from inside his robe and placing it on the desk.
The elf produced a sheet of parchment on which she wrote a few lines with a quill.
“Now I’ll just need your names,” she said.
“Rurik Ironhelm,” the dwarf growled.
“Gaias Anthony Gafgarion,” the monk calmly stated. “We will return when we have found more items.”
“It’s all yours, kid” the dwarf muttered at me as he and the monk walked away.
“Well,” said the elf once we had stepped up. “I don’t know what was more unpleasant about that dwarf: his demeanor or his smell.” She paused for a minute, as if trying to put her previous discussion behind her. “Now, what can I do for you contestants?”
“Well, technically, I’m the only contestant here,” I said. “My name is Ahren Impavi. This is Miyu. Unless there are any rules against it, she will be helping me in the Contest.”
“There are no rules of that kind that I am aware of,” the elf said, all business. “If that is all, then I ask you to return when you have found some of your items.”
“Actually, we have a few,” Miyu cut in.
“Yes, I see you are carrying a tapestry,” the elf replied. “I’ll just write that down ... Ahren Impavi, tapestry ... Anything else?”
“Seashell, healing potion,” I said, placing the items on the desk.
The elf wrote again on her paper, then slid the items into a bag and placed it behind the desk.
“Thank you for your particpation,” she said. “Please return when you have found more items. Good luck.”
Miyu and I turned and left the square, trying to decide what we should do next.
“I heard there are some ruins up to the north,” I said. “The innkeeper says that’s a good place to find obsidian. Besides, I find ruins are very rarely empty. We might find something else we can use. We’ll have to walk through the forest for a while to get there. We may be able to find our berries along the way.”
“So if we find those, what will we still need?”
“A serpentfly stinger and a brazier. To be honest, though, I don’t know where we’re going to find either. I guess we can hope this ruined temple will have a brazier, but I don’t even know what a serpentfly is.”
“It’s probably a monster of some kind,” Miyu speculated. “I can’t imagine what kind of Contest this would be if no one had to fight any monsters to win.”
“You’re probably right,” I said. “At any rate, let’s head out. We’ve got a ruin to explore.”
Together, we dashed off to the forest, heading due north along an old road. We knew adventure was ahead, but could not have known the scope of what was ahead.

 

Naughty, naughty Miyu. Oh well, guess the dark elf had it coming. The story is really coming along nicely.

 

I've slowed down posting these because I haven't written anything for a while, so 10's going to mark the end unless I manage to write some more this weekend.

Chapter IX - Into the Woods

We were not far along the road before we had made our first discovery. On one side, there stood a short shrub, dotted with a few large red berries. It looked as though many of the berries had been plucked from the branches, no doubt by other contestants. Groping among the leaves, Miyu managed to find three berries, which she placed in her belt pouch. One step closer, we continued along our way.
As we walked deeper into the forest, the foliage began to thicken. The dark canopy of leaves above slowly began to hide the light of the sun above. It was not long until we were in the darkness of night, though I new it could only be midday.
I was beginning to feel a deep chill running down my spine, as if we were being watched. Miyu seemed fine, however, and I figured it was just my imagination. We continued to walk along the path deeper into the woods, and I said nothing.
Some time later, I was all but certain I had heard footsteps behind us. Then I heard a twig snap. Turning around abruptly, I drew my rapier.
“Did you hear that?” I asked Miyu. She shook her head, not knowing what I was talking about. “I swear, we’re being followed.”
For a moment we paused, listening, straining our ears for any sound. Eerily, I noticed there was no sound at all in these woods: no birds chirping, no subtle rustling of a squirrel or some other creature in the leaves. There was only the silence dark forest, the only sound the wind blowing through the tree branches above.
“It’s probably my imagination,” I conceded.
“Maybe so,” Miyu said. “but keep your ears open, just in case.”
We continued along the path once more, and I sheathed my rapier. The journey was uneventful for a while, until we came to a point where the road began to descend into a state of poor maintenance. Although it looked as though this part of the road did not see regular use, it had seen heavy traffic lately: probably contestants on their way to the temple.
“We’ve gotta be almost there,” Miyu muttered. “My feet are killing me. Any chance we could take a little break?”
Now that she mentioned it, I was a little tired too. We had been walking for several hours, and my stomach was starting to grumble. I knew that if we’d have to stop sooner or later, and this spot seemed as good as any. Leaning against a tree, I slowly lowered myself to the ground, setting my pack next to me. I withdrew a package of trail rations. Popping the top, I pulled some out and tossed the rest to Miyu.
“We’ll take a break for lunch,” I said. “I don’t know how much farther we have to walk, but this is the part of adventuring I’ve always hated.”
“Yeah,” Miyu replied. “but at least the trip’s been uneventful. There’d be nothing worse than getting ambushed out here.”
“We have nothing worth stealing anyway,” I joked. “But I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that we’re being followed.”
“You’re just being paranoid, Ahren,” Miyu said.
For a moment, we both just silently chewed our food.
“You know, it’s really dark in this forest,” Miyu finally said, breaking the silence. “Darker than any forest I’ve ever been in, anyway. If I believed in omens, I’d say this is a bad one.”
“If you don’t believe, then why worry?” I casually answered. “Besides, I may not be an oracle or anything like that, but the only signs I see are pointing us down the road of victory. You saw how those two in town were bickering. If that’s how the other partnerships are working, that’s just another advantage for the two of us.”
“You’re probably right. Besides, did you get a whiff of that dwarf? Not smelling like him’s another thing we’ve got going.”
We both enjoyed a light chuckle.
“Ahren,” Miyu said, serious suddenly. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. We’ve been working together, and you’ve been nothing but great to me, but I know nothing about you.”
I looked at her for a moment. “I’ve got nothing to hide. What do you want to know?”
“Well,” she began, thinking to herself. “your past is your own business, but I’d like to know why you entered the Contest in the first place. I mean, everyone has a reason for doing something like this. It’s not like you just suddenly decide to ...”
Her train of thought was cut off by a sudden rustling in the leaves, followed by a sound of running footsteps. In an instant, we were standing back-to-back in the middle of the path, our weapons drawn.
“Who’s there?” I shouted into the trees.
I was answered with nothing more than silence. I could feel the tension running through my back. We had been followed, after all. I was more sure of it now than ever. As we strained our ears once again to hear anything, we were this time greeted by a rapid rustling of leaves, as though someone was running in our direction, but there were no footsteps to be heard.
“I have a very bad feeling about this ...” Miyu muttered as we stood, waiting for the confrontation we both knew was coming.
“Show yourself, coward!” I yelled, trying to sound as brave as possible, hoping to inspire a similar attitude in my companion, and also to try to cover my rising anxiety.
I began to hear a loud buzzing sound, like that of a bee or another insect, but much, much larger. Suddenly, out of the trees burst its source.
The beast was huge, its serpentine body at least fifteen feet long. Green scales covered the length of the creature, from the twisted reptilian head to the glistening stinger on its tail. Shortly below the head a set of insectoid wings sprouted, flapping constantly, creating the droning sound I had heard and keeping the creature a short distance off the ground. Roaring, its voice a reptilian hiss, only much deeper, the beast flashed its jagged yellow fangs, which lined both sides of its mouth. I knew in an instant that this could only be a serpentfly.
“Looks like we might just get ourselves a stinger,” I said, trying to sound calm.
The creature flew straight for us. Raising my rapier, I prepared to fight.