The evening events left a lingering feeling of delight for the three rowdy bunch. Not only did they manage to escape their punishment, they also got to do what they wanted from then on. Excluding the contracts, of course. And then there was me, the one who had to take all of their blunders and mishaps. By the Gods, was I not thrilled by the thought.
The people left the command room, and the bar, to settle in for the night. It was getting rather late, and some of them have a big day ahead come morning. And as for me at the time, I had no idea what was in store for me.
The Augur, Wagnak, told me to swing by his chambers for a discussion before we ended that whole scene at the command room. It was something of a serious matter by the way he spoke to me, so, I might as well head there. As I was headed to his chambers, the old man, Galbrant the Stalwart, joined me while I walked.
"While you were out sleeping my dear boy, I managed to tell Wagnak of your situation. Apparently, he is someone who can give us some light on what this is all about, and you best keep it in mind all the things he will tell us. Agreed, boy?" said the old man.
I nodded in confirmation and I was already deep in thought on what this discussion would be about.
We went up the flight of stairs to the right of the guild bar, and on the third level of the house, we stumbled upon the chambers of the Augur. One could say that the doors of the command room was already impressive, but the door blocking our passage was on a level of its own. It has these tiny markings, a set of codes if one would take a look at it. It has a set of symbols of the wild: bear's paws, hawk's eyes, wolf's fangs, mammoth's tusks, troll's ears, and a giant's hand. It was set on each square tile at the center of the door, and one could suppose that it needed to be pressed in the correct order of symbols to be able to pass. Or else, it would be your death. I saw those holes right above and underneath the bloody door and one would be pierced to their death.
The Augur, Wagnak, was behind us as we took a close look at the mechanisms of the door and he stopped to greet us.
"Good evening gentlemen. Do not worry about that door, the trap is not yet in place. Go on, let's get inside," said Wagnak.
Wagnak pushed the door of his chambers and invited us inside. The room was filled with bookshelves and cabinets, and in the middle of the room was a fireplace with a table and some chairs. I noticed that the room was awfully crowded with books of every aspect of life in Anthora, and a door to the far side of this room, which I assumed was his bedroom.
We took a seat at the table and Wagnak offered us a drink. He took out this bottle of wine in his drawer and I recognized that it was the most expensive wine in all of Anthora, and he was sharing it with me and the old man. As he was pouring his finest wine, The Crow's Spit, he started off the conversation.
"Don't be shy now, that is no ordinary booze. I only share it with people I am in good terms or should I say, with people I have faith in. Go on," said Wagnak.
I took a sip, and it burned my throat. "Agh. By the love of the Gods, this stings hard. Just a sip, and I can already tell why it was 'that' expensive," I said in sarcasm.
The two old men laughed at my blunder and Wagnak said, "if you can feel that then you are very much alive, lad. Galbrant told me earlier this day that you, lad, had an encounter with a mysterious force we label as 'it'. Is that correct?"
I nodded in response.
"You see, I may know things in this lifetime that I can share to everybody, but remember this, not everything we know is what we know. 'It' can be a different matter to you, or a very much different being as to what me and Galbrant knows. What I do know Hardnir, is that you are the only answer to this situation," said Wagnak.
"What do you mean, me? Help me, so that I can understand Wagnak," I answered back.
Old man, Sir Galbrant, entered the conversation and said, "dear boy, what we know is, as I have mentioned to you before, 'it' is a human being like the rest of us. Although, albeit mysterious. I hardly made it out alive when I encountered the thing, I was on death's door. So, it is quite curious as to why are you here, living and breathing and walking among us, unscathed. You are the only answer we have. We need to assume that your life, and everything else around you, are in danger in order for us to plan a course of action."
"And no words are truer than that, Galbrant. Lad, it means everything to us that you are alive and well," said Wagnak.
Wagnak removed his armor and showed me his back. I froze at my seat as I caught sight of it. It was as if darkness polluted his very skin. Black patches at his back and almost no visible sign of his fair complexion.
"Gods above! Tell me, 'it' did not do that to you Wagnak," I mentioned in shock.
"He pretty much did when he touched me at the battlefield a year ago, lad. The intensity of pain I suffered as I was getting cold that day, was beyond anyone's wildest dreams. I did not wake up for an awful lot of days after that. It was a miracle that I opened my eyes on that certain day when I saw a dream," replied Wagnak.
"What happened in this dream, my old friend?" said Sir Galbrant.
Wagnak told us his dream in detail as he drank his Crow's Spit.
"The Goddess of Sun and Supreme Rule, Esme, appeared in my dream. I could not see her face but She was enveloped in the light of the sun as she was talking to me. She told me in my dream that the land will be torn between two brothers, seeking war and supremacy over the other. And when that time comes, darkness should fall unto the lands and no one could escape the imminent threat it will pose. She told me that when I wake up from my sleep, I should look for the signs of the wild and give my utmost attention to the one who does not break," told Wagnak as he gazed towards the memories of his dream.
Sir Galbrant held his beard and stared at the distance when he heard the tale. I was there, listening all the time, and surprisingly, I blurted out my thoughts out loud.
"Two brothers seeking war and supremacy. Isn't that Hjalmar the Lion and Joachim Red-eye?" I asked Wagnak.
"Yes, you are correct my child. At the time, I was not paying attention to the dream. But now, all things considered, it is coming to fruition. And with haste, the guild will find the rest of the signs of the wild. So far, we already conquered the mountain troll, which is the only one apart from the other trolls of the wild. We still have yet to conquer the remaining. The Frelsmuthian Wolf, the one that has the moon marked in its fur. The Hawk of Agir, the one that flies above the mountains of Agir. The Savage Bear, the one we have not yet found, but based on the lore, should be around the Elder gorge. And the last two will be the Mammoth and Giant, which we do not know if they still exist, as the lore says they already perished, way back a few millennia," said Wagnak.
Sir Galbrant drank his share of Crow's Spit and let out a deep sigh. He said, "tons of tasks ahead, and no answers yet at this time. Sounds like a challenge, eh, lad?"
"Yeah. By any chance, Wagnak, the ears I tore off the troll are a sign?" I asked the Augur.
"That it is lad, that it is. You have no idea how shocked I was earlier, to see that thing right in your hands," said Wagnak. "And the name Strongbone, my child, striked me the most," he added.
"Why?" I asked.
"In time, lad. In time. For now, let's adjourn this meeting and call it a night, yeah?" said Wagnak.
"Don't worry Wagnak, I will take him to bed. You have a good night, alright?" said Sir Galbrant.
The old man grabbed me by my shoulders and we went down the flight of stairs and up the other one to the left of the guild bar. We sat down the room full of beds and the old man sat in a bed in front of mine.
"He took a shine on you, my boy. You got quite the charisma. I'll give you that. Rest up for now and meet me at the bar tomorrow morning, agreed?" said Sir Galbrant.
"Yes, yes. If you say so," I answered back in sarcasm.
I could not fall asleep right away, as the events that took place that day was still fresh in my head. I pondered on the dream Wagnak had and as time flew by, I found myself dozing off.
No events took place while I was asleep, and I woke up to a fine morning. Birds chirped at the windows of the room, and sunlight came in from it. I sat up on my bed, and brushed up my hair with my hands. I looked around the room for the old man. Apparently, he was already up and about, so, I went downstairs to find myself something to eat.
The barkeep stopped me and said, "goodmorning, master Hardnir. I believe you will find today's meal, satisfactory. We have fresh bread, aged goat cheese, and fried eggs for the meal. Oh, and also, Sir Galbrant the Stalwart left a message. He told me to inform you to go to the command room after you eat."
"Alright. Uhm, you see, about last night..." I said in reply.
"Yes, sir?" asked the barkeep.
"Nothing. Nevermind. Good morning," I hesitated to apologize for intimidating him last night. I grabbed my food and sat down the nearest table.
I enjoyed my breakfast, and I needed that much to eat, because I knew, that day was going to be a very busy day. I finished up my meal, and went to the barkeep to pay for it. He declined to take my payment, and mentioned that it was on the house. Again. I left the guild bar, and went on to the command room.
As I entered the command room, the only difference between today and last night was that there were only a few inside the room. It was just Wagnak, Sir Galbrant, Alayah, Gels, and Holsten. I joined them, and I was the only one they were waiting to come.
"Alright, brothers and sister, since we are all present now, let me tell you what today's plan will look like. You three, the unofficial mountain troll subjugating party, and these two gentlemen, will go on a hunt for the Savage Bear. I believe it is about time we conquer the beast. Hardnir the Strongbone will be in command. Everything he says, you listen and follow. Galbrant the Stalwart will provide insight and suggestions for executing a plan. And you three, will follow their lead. Understood?" said the Augur, Wagnak.
"Hold on. What's in it for me to come to this bit? Is there coin involved?" I asked in return.
"What?! What are you, a moron?!" shouted Alayah.
Wagnak laughed and replied, "of course, lad. We are not going to do this if there is no contract. The client is, well, me! Haha!"
"You are one crazy old man. I'll give you that. And bug off, Alayah. Now is not the time. How much is the reward?" I asked.
"Forty gold coins and another contract upon completion, lad. This request, is a string of requests, coming from the Freemen Quarters itself. It's a change, that we are the ones who are hiring you. Usually, we will just do that ourselves. But we need the extra set of hands on this, and these three need some experience. It's a win for both sides, isn't that right?" said Wagnak.
"Well, that is a generous offer. I am very much in it for the taking. I'll try my best to keep everyone alive," I said in response.
"Perfect! With that out of the way, we have a report that came in. Earlier this morning, the bear was found roaming around the Elder's Crossing near the Elder's gorge. Some of the guards of the Sixth Castle, patrolling the wilderness, spotted it and ran to give us the information. I suggest you head there now, and we might lose this chance," said Wagnak.
"You will not be disappointed with this, Augur. We will take home the prize," said Alayah.
"That, we agree on, sister. Right, Gels?" said Holsten.
"Leave it to us, Augur," said Gels.
"Enough of the talking, and start moving, you three. Let's go, my boy," said Sir Galbrant.
"Alright men, let's pack up our things and meet at the gates. See you there," I commanded the group.
"Oh, Hardnir! Lad! Take this!" said Wagnak while throwing a pouch towards me.
I caught it and took a peek inside. It contained thirty gold coins.
"And this is?" I asked Wagnak.
"Your compensation for the mountain troll. We already talked to the client that the contract is complete. It's yours," mentioned Wagnak.
"Forgot about that. Thank you for the business," I answered back.
We left the room and went upstairs to pack our belongings. I made a quick check of what I was lacking at the moment. To prevent being bothered while on the travel.
I had thirty-six gold coins at the time and several stuff that needed to be taken care of. One, a breastplate. Two, a sword. Three, going to need some healing tonics on this one, as I was in command of a five-man party. I did not want them to be burdened by anyone being injured or anything. Best be prepared. I picked up my bag and went downstairs.
I stopped by the barkeep to get some information regarding on what I needed at the time.
"Excuse me. Where could I buy some healing tonics in this city?" I asked the barkeep.
"Oh. Heard you were going out," said the barkeep and then he continued after stopping what he was doing. "Right after you leave the Freemen District, take a right turn at the fork of the road, and head up the flight of stairs to the Merchants District. You will see a big statue of the first Lord of the castle there at the middle of the district, which is Lord Delvin, and the shop is right behind the statue. The place is called 'Herbs and Cauldrons'. You won't miss it," said the barkeep.
"Thank you. Now you are more cooperating than last evening. Best be on my way then," I thanked the barkeep with a bit of sarcasm before I left the guild.
A healing tonic is a concoction made out of herbs and other ingredients that alchemists make in order to provide little relief to subside the pain and somehow ease up one's condition in a critical situation. Those would come in handy since the name of the beast that we would be hunting, certainly, was not a name to be taken lightly.
I took the directions the barkeep gave me to mind and went on my way to the place called "Herbs and Cauldrons". He gave quite a remarkable detail to the instructions. I did find a statue at the middle of the district. A man standing while holding this huge sword by his shoulders. It was towering right above me and the thing, actually was made of stone. Handcrafted by the best sculptor in the lands during the time most like. I walked around the statue and did find the signage that said "Herbs and Cauldrons".
I went inside the shop and the bell at the door dinged as the door closed behind me. The shopkeep was a young lady with red dress and brown hair. She came up the counter to greet me.
"Welcome. Best tonics and cures for all ailments in all of the Sixth Castle. I am Lyra. Let me help you find what you need," said the shopkeep, Lyra.
"Oh, uhm, I already know what I need, Lyra. Thanks for the offer. I will be needing five small vials of healing tonic and three large vials of that too. Do you have anything available?" I asked Lyra.
"Let me see..." said Lyra. She went to look around behind the counter and checked if there were any available. She grabbed this big wooden tray, full of red vials, and went to the table right next to me.
"Hold out your bag, sir, and unlatch the part of your bag where these vials will go in," said Lyra.
I held out my bag and on the right side of my bag was a pocket; which contained the unused roll of bandage, vials of antiseptic, antidote, and remedy. She filled it with my order and went back behind the counter.
"That sir, will be two gold coins for each small vial of healing tonic. And three gold coins for each large vial. That would be a total of nineteen gold coins," said Lyra.
I gave the exact amount and was on my way to the door when Lyra stopped me before leaving.
"Hope you don't mind my curiosity, good sir. What are you planning to do with that amount of healing tonics?" said Lyra.
"Venturing the wilds, my young lady. I thought it would be best to be a little cautious and prepared," I answered back and I went out the shop after that.
I walked back to where the Freemen District was and followed the road towards the gate. I was not that familiar with the whole city at the time, so I stuck with the familiar places I went to the previous day. I passed by the marketplace and saw the blacksmith's shop near the gate. I stopped by to make a purchase as I was in need of a sword and armor.
As I approached the blacksmith, Sir Galbrant stopped me and grabbed me away from the shop. We were in the same spot of our first encounter in years and he sat down again at the same chair.
"No need to buy a sword, my boy. Or, an armor plate. Here," said the old man and he tossed in a huge bag with stuff in it.
I looked inside the bag and saw this black leather breastplate, armguards, and boots. Along with a steel sword in its scabbard.
"Those are the leftovers of the black bear I hunted down years ago. I brought them to a friend to craft them into a fine set of armor. Those are the thickest hide, available to all of the Edge of the World. And I am giving them to you," said Sir Galbrant.
"Well, I do not deserve this kind of armor. I mean, these could fetch a hefty price. Why?" I asked in confusion.
"Duty of an old man. I want to at least keep you safe, you clumsy boy. We have not yet discussed your brown bear dilemma, and yet here you are, a much worse beast than your previous one," said the old man.
"Oh, right... That bear. Thought you forgot about that. Being an old man and all," I answered in sarcasm.
"Heh, nice try. Try again after another thousand years. And by the way, that sword is your father's, the Jagged," replied Sir Galbrant.
I took a closer look at the sword and it has these spikes at the pommel of the hilt. I grabbed the hilt and felt that the grip was surprisingly right for my hands. I unsheathed it and the sword was in a good condition. I bet that Sir Galbrant took care of this one too while he was polishing whatever in his spare time. But one could also see that the sword already took its fair share of battle as the sword got these scratches here and there, and also the scabbard.
"It is just right for you to hold your father's sword now, Hardnir. He is no longer with us, and he might be happy to know that it's in your hands now. From father to son. Take care of it, lad. That sword is as sharp as your father," said the old man.
"I am honored to retrieve it," I replied and the three guildsmen were already in the near distance.
I donned the armor that the old man gave me. And carried the sword of my father, the Jagged, on my waist and we went out the city gates.
We walked several stones away from the Sixth Castle while the sun was already high up in the sky and it scorched as hell in the dry wilderness. We rested in a shade of an abandoned watchtower, just along the road going to the Elder's gorge. I asked if anyone brought some water and apparently, I was the only one who didn't have any water pouch. Gels tossed me his water pouch, and I drank from it.
"With my size, I always double on my stuff. I can always refill this water pouch anyways. Keep that Hardnir," said Gels as he smiled at me. I held the water pouch high as a gesture of appreciation to Gels.
Sir Galbrant rested his back against the walls of the watchtower as he mingled with the other three.
"So, Alayah, Gels and Holsten. What can you do in battle, if I may?" said the old man.
"I studied and practiced archery ever since I was young," said Alayah. "It is as if the bow is my arms, and the arrows are my eyes. It became a part of me and it stayed like that ever since."
"And how about the other two?" said Sir Galbrant.
"The Augur said that I have the strength of a Giant and the toughness of a Mammoth," said Gels.
"I know my way around knives and darts. Both in close-range and in the distance," said Holsten.
The old man stood up and took a seat near us to form a circle. He picked up a few stones and started lecturing.
"Alright, so, here is what I suggest our roles should be. Gels, Hardnir and myself will be the frontlines. Alayah and Holsten will guard our backs. Holsten will take cover for Alayah whenever she attempts to get a clear shot at something, and from Alayah to Holsten as well. While Gels and I, will deal with any incoming attacks at the front. Gels could smash away anyone after I blocked an attack, and so does Hardnir. Hardnir will be mostly in the position to assess the situation, and look for opportunities. We will be trusting your judgment. I know you have brains as you have brawns. Does that sound good for everyone?" said Sir Galbrant while placing the stones on the ground to demonstrate the proposed formation.
"So, the three at the front will be Gels, Sir Galbrant and Hardnir, right? Sir Galbrant will be in the middle?" asked Alayah.
"Yes, lass. I am your shield, and they will be my arms. Although, I will attack from time to time, but that will be if the number of enemies are few. Keep in mind that we need to stick close to each other should there be any encounters," said the old man.
"Let's go with this formation. Being an odd number party, that is the best we can do. Gels and me could also switch to the rear should there be any close-range enemies at the position," I decided for the group. "But how about for the bear?" I added.
"Same formation, but a much wider scope of space. With the bear in front of us, the formation will look like this," said Sir Galbrant while rearranging the stones on the ground.
"Alayah will be in the window between me and Gels. And Holsten will be in the window between me and Hardnir. With the bear, I will take the blows, with a sword in hand for a counter or an attack. Hardnir and Gels will do their own set of movements. No unnecessary steps, just dodge and block then attack when you can. Alayah and Holsten shall serve as opportunity makers. Meaning, Alayah and Holsten will follow just one command, the command of Hardnir when it is time to rain it down, so wait for his command," said the old man.
"And you my boy, find that golden opportunity or weakness. We know we can count on you to do that. When that arrives, we will close in on the bear and put pressure on it until we end it. Does this all make sense to everyone?" added Sir Galbrant.
"Yes, sir," the three answered in unison.
"Aye. Let's go with this for now. Changes will be made depending on the situation and leave me in charge of that," I mentioned in my response to the suggestion.
We moved on from the watchtower after that rest and passed a signpost pointing us to the direction of Cragswallow, a farming village under the jurisdiction of the Sixth Castle, the source of food for the whole domain. Just past that village will be the Elder's gorge. We ought to stay the night there as the day was already getting behind us.
The five of us went on the expedition as planned, and I needed one more day to recover from my wounds from that battle with the brown bear.
And then...
There came an attack.