Ch-1 Living Man’s Grave

  The Day was like any other in the Continent’s biggest bazaar, with the ringing of opening bells and merchants setting up shops. Eryndor jerked up from his sleep and clenched his chest in an attempt to overcome the suffocating feeling he was having. Eryndor sat there, clenching his chest and gasping for air. Soon enough he was alright, he lied down on his bed there was a heavy feeling weighing down on his chest.

  He exclaimed ‘That Dream Again!!! Every single time, why does this dream repeat? I am no hero!’

  With this he was calming down and fell asleep once more. Time passed and the sun was almost overhead, rays of afternoon sunlight seeped through the holes in the curtains. The rays light up the room and made visible a dusty unkempt cabin with damaged furniture, and Eryndor lying naked on his bed with the sheets barely covering him.

  The rays caressed his face and woke him up from his sleep. He sat upright on his bed and with a sigh stood up. Eryndor was pretty muscular, at least for people like him.

  He put on some clothes and grabbed his old sword before he left.

  He was greeted with dimly sun light alleyway. There were a lot of high rise building around making it hard for the sun to reach his doorstep, except at noon.

  Eryndor walked toward the sound of crowd and merchants, in the way he saw many drunkards lying there in the alleyway. He also found a, Dagger.

  He took a look around before picking it up. Eryndor held up the dagger in his hand and spoke ‘Finders- Keepers.’ And put the dagger in his pocket and continued.

  Reaching the end of the alleyway he was greeted with crowd. ‘Too many people today.’ He spoke with a sigh.

  Eryndor cut through the crowd looking around the stalls in the bazaar. In this market it was harder to find something that wasn’t sold here, whether legal or not. You just had to find the right person.

  The stalls had everything that one might need from everyday goods to magical equipments and weapons. Eryndor moved to a less crowded part of the bazaar before pulling out the dagger from his pocket and began inspecting it.

  He saw some rune magic carved onto it. ‘Oh! Whoever lost this would be quite angry.’ He spoke as he put the dagger back in his pocket.

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  Making his way through many stalls Eryndor finally reached the one he thought he could sell the dagger to. There was a tiny old man sitting there, his face was enough for anyone to tell he was thief. There was someone already standing at the stall, from her red robes it looked like she was a mage of the Crimson Tower.

  He walked up to the stall and slammed the dagger on the table. ‘How much for this runic dagger?’

  The old man put on a monocle and grabbed the dagger, he examined the dagger and the spell written on it. The old man spoke ‘Look kid this isn’t that good of a spell but I can give you, Fifty Arcaninan gold’

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt.’ The mage chimed in. ‘But that is a pretty complicated runic spell and it could go for at least a few hundred Arcaninan gold.’

  Eryndor looked at her then back to the old man and immediately snatched back the weapon. ‘Thanks.’ He spoke to the mage.

  Eryndor put the dagger back in his pockets and began making his way through the crowd. He passed many people and stopped in front of a pub like building with a huge sign on top of the door.

  “Adventurers Guild: Evermarket”

  Eryndor pushed open the door and was greeted with smell of old lumber and booze. People sat around the tables in group or alone, drinking in broad daylight. He passed through the rows of table to reach the reception desk.

  He was greeted by a lady in blue uniform, who was missing an arm, and had a big smile on her scarred face. ‘Welcome! How can I help you today?’ She spoke with a cheerfully.

  ‘Can I get a form for the exam.’ He spoke.

  She bent down and grabbed a paper and handed it to him, ‘Please fill out the details and submit it.’

  Eryndor took a pen lying there on the table and began filling it out, he looked at the girl and asked ‘So, What’s your story? Madam.’

  The girl gave a shocked expression and in a cheerful-teasing voice spoke ‘Its pretty rude to not introduce yourself first, you know?’

  With a chuckle Eryndor spoke, ‘My name is, Eryndor.’

  ‘Jasmine here.’ She spoke. ‘As for me, nothing serious happened. We just faced Krathul’s Wrath.’ Eryndor could feel her sadness in those words.

  In his mind he thought [Another adventure ended early by the “grace” of gods].

  Not willing to let this talk spiral into a depressing conversation he immediately handed back the form, and left without looking back. Jasmine picked up the form, took a look at it and gave a baffled look before hastily returning to her smiling face.

  ‘See you soon, Eryndor Greythrone.’ She spoke with a slightly devious but polite smile as he left the vicinity.

  -break-

  Deep within a forest Eryndor was swinging his sword relentlessly, he was trying to shut his inner demons up. The voices in his head never left him alone they always wanted something from him.

  These voices wanted him to save “his” family, the one he never met. And to kill the “monster” he didn’t know.

  When slashing the air didn’t work, he began cutting everything in his path.

  With every slash the sword chipped more and more slowly coming closer to its inevitable end. The sword clashed with a rock a split in two.

  Eryndor chuckled and picked up the broken pieces. ‘You are also leaving me behind with these voices.’ He spoke. Eryndor was on the verge of breaking down.

  Eryndor began walking, carrying the broken sword in his hands, passing through many trees he reached an open field. A graveyard.

  About 20 swords were arranged around a single gravestone. Eryndor placed the handle part of the sword in ground and placed the other in front of it.

  He then walked towards the gravestone, he stood in front of the grave and paid respects to the “dead". The grave stone was engraved with a name.

  And the name was, Eryndor Greythrone…….