《Journey of the Cursed》Chapter 11
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"So…" Marcus starts, "If I understand correctly, you're upset at Drazdan's unfavorable opinion of his country of birth, while you hold the very same kingdom in extremely high regard regardless of all of its shortcomings. Am I correct?" He sums it up.
"Sounds like it to me." Xandarr comments offhandedly.
"The traitor is bashing our Royalty and nobility in front of our most esteemed customers! He's spewing lies to their face! We can't afford to lose the patronage of the strongest faction on the continent!" The dwarf lashes out again.
"Sounds like you'd lose them either way." Xandarr says nonchalantly, and receiving a piercing from the dwarf.
"If I'm going to be honest with you all, the Ice Elves have never been known to be ignorant. They have definitely noticed most of the faults in your kingdom and are most probably taking advantage of it…" He finishes and takes a look at the Ice elves from the corner of his eyes.
A smug little grin is on both of their faces, proving his words true.
"You are quite sharp for a human. Indeed, we've been using their inefficient system to prosper ourselves. It only makes sense to do so, and their laws legally allows us to do so as well. So it would be quite foolish not to take advantage of it." Elas says with a shrug.
“Is this what you meant by skilled people, brother?” Thallan asks.
“Perhaps Thallan, but it remains to be seen. Say, is your little group open for a job?” Elas asks as he looks at the three men.
Marcus, Xandarr and Drazdan take a second to all look at each other, then all 3 look back at the elf.
“Depends, what’s the job and pay?” they ask in synchrony.
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Brenda, the elves and the customers all look at the group in disbelief for a few seconds before breaking out in laughter. The three men, who are usually at each other's necks, just responded the exact same answer at the exact same time was just too surprising.
The dwarf's complaints were drowned out by the sounds of laughter, and he was slowly pushed away by the crowd that was ignoring him.
“That… Was priceless. Oh my lord, that was amazing, I can’t believe you 3 just did that.” Brenda says, mid-laughter, looking at the 3 embarrassed men.
An embarrassed chuckle escapes Marcus’s lips, meanwhile Xandarr is attempting to hide under the hood of the cloak and Drazdan is just standing there smiling awkwardly.
As the moment stretches from mere seconds to a couple of minutes, the surrounding people slowly but surely calm themselves and the elves can finally speak again.
"It's quite simple actually, I need you guys to go get the luggage from our carriage at the northern mountain foot. It's a simple test really, get there safely, take our stuff and come back, you'll each get 10 gold, and you can keep whatever you find on the way of course. Maybe a few enemies on the way. Oh! And before I forget…" Thallan explains before his dramatic pause that is followed by a fierce glare.
"If you even think about keeping any of it, I will cut off your heads and feet to the kobolds." He threatens a single hand on the pommel of his sword.
Following the explanation and threat, the group once again exchange a glance from each other before Drazdan extends his right hand in hopes of a handshake to seal the deal.
"So a simple recovery and delivery, easy enough, and don't worry we don't have a habit of stealing someone else's belongings." He says as they shake hands to seal the deal.
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The rest of the day passes peacefully, the group prepares for the couple day long trek to the mountain. Packing themselves extra food and clothes and inspecting their gear for any defects or issues that need to be fixed.
No party was held the night before their departure, since they wanted to leave at an appreciable time in hope of making it further before nightfall and returning just that little bit faster.
Of course, in the early hours of the morning, we once again had a slimy bear run down the stairs in a hurry to clean themselves off. Followed by a pleasant breakfast at the bar alongside Thirza and Brenda, the empty air filled with friendly conversation and a discussion about the best path to follow to their destination.
Before long, the 3-man group line up at the Northern Gate, a few of their friends followed them to wish them luck, namely Tarwick, Nomia, Thirza and Brenda. The two elven brothers came as well to see them off.
Thallan made sure to be as annoying as he possibly could for no other reason than to simply piss off Xandarr, just trying to force a reaction out of him. This led to a short battle of wits, which Xandarr won with ease and made Thallan lose his patience and attempt to draw his sword once again.
It was however but an attempt, as Xandarr gave him a proper smack over the head with his staff, knocking the man out cold. Elas didn’t seem to care about the little scuffle and simply picked up his brother and carried him back to the tavern after saying his goodbyes to the group.
“Take care you guys and Xandarr, don’t shock or kick your teammates again. There will be consequences otherwise.” Brenda said with a wicked grin that sent shivers down Xandarr’s spine.
“Stop messing with him, Brenda, I know you won’t do anything.” said Thirza.
“You think? Care to try me?” she asked as she turned towards Thirza.
That interaction caused a short staring match that was eventually interrupted by both Xandarr and Drazdan, calming both of them down. Seeing as how the group was finally ready to leave, the guards at the Northern Gate started opening it to allow them to finally leave.
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Pluto
Talia Redowl, daughter of the goddess Athena, expected - and definitely wanted - to work for her mother when she graduated. In particular, she was hoping to be assigned as an aide to her older sister, Danae, their mother’s Avatar. So when Talia’s graduation assignment is to become the Avatar of Hades, the legendarily anti-social and brooding god of the Underworld, she protests…the position has gone unfilled for two thousand years. Why her? Why now? The Fates weave a tangled web, and more is at stake than Talia’s plans for her own future.But before she can take up her new post, Talia Redowl must die.Death is just the beginning…
8 178Legacy Unbroken
For six generations, his family has held the title of Hero of Farathun. Now, his father lies dead, dishonored, stripped of his title. He is only a boy, untested, unnamed, unready to take up his father's sword. But that doesn't matter, because he has a plan. Three simple steps. 1) Master the sword 2) Earn his name 3) Take back his father's title It doesn't matter that it's impossible. It doesn't matter what challenges he will face. His family's legacy will continue, unbroken. But when opportunity comes knocking at his door, will he be ready to seize it? When a new teacher finds him, and challenges all that he thought was true, the boy is whisked away on an adventure that will take him far beyond the bounds of his home. He'll learn, and grow, and gain strength. He will find his place in the wider world, and leave his mark in history. Or die trying.
8 101Drunks & Fanatics
Freshly anointed cleric Tessa Vivuk aspires to be a Hero after having been saved by one as a child. But when she attempts to join the Heroes' Guild, the doors are shut on her. Unwilling to give up, she joins the Adventurers' Guild and believes she can earn enough recognition to one day be recognized and become a Hero. But Hei Zhao and Torgrak have other plans for her. After quietly sabotaging Tessa's first quest, they offer to be her mentors. Promising to make her amongst the strongest in the world while secretly turning her into a living weapon. Unaware of what's to come, she accepts. However, Hei and Torgrak have been issued a special mission as Custodians of the Adventurers' Guild. The extermination of a cultist infested town. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, they kidnap Tessa in the night and drag her along with them to reforge Tessa's first weakness: her self-confidence. (1st Arc Done) 7/7/2022: All past chapters have been condensed into 17. The story is slightly shorter than before and one chapter has been removed from the series as of current. I will be doing some organization of details before I start any work on the next story arc. I hope you enjoy and I will be continuing the series. Just doing some cooling off at the moment. :D
8 99Ancient Adventurer Return
You all know Earth’s history, you all know what happened during the long time humans had to struggle on this hostile environment. What you don’t know is that this history, the whole history, could’ve changed because of one man’s curiosity. And after this very same man awaken from his two thousand years slumber, he will discover the society that he unknowingly helped to create. A society based on money, fame and power. The world of dungeons, treasures, monsters and Gods.
8 67The Marked Ones
One morning, a boy appears on top of a hill. He has no memories of his past, nor does he know who he is. All he knows is that on his hand is a Mark that makes everyone around him view him with suspicion or hate. Soon, he will meet someone like him, and they must survive in a hostile world. The Marked Ones are enigmatic entities; they appear from nowhere, and some groups seek to exterminate them, and others seek to protect them. In the continent of Aeton, the boy will not be alone, and his main objective will be to reach the city of Adhaz, thus having to cross half a continent full of dangers. His story, and that of the groups that hunt or protect him, will bring a huge change to Aeton. Weekly updates on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday here and on Patreon. Due to various personal issues, updates will only be on Mondays.
8 117The Hero's Sidekick
Life is great when you're the hero. You're handsome, charismatic, you've got girls throwing themselves at you left and right. You're handy with a sword, you know how to lead by example, you've got a grand destiny ahead of you. Despite all of your hardships, no matter what comes your way you've got what it takes to overcome it. So what happens if you're not the hero, but his sidekick? Turns out being second fiddle to the main event isn't nearly so glamorous. But a hero only stands tall when he's got others to hold him up. This is the story of a hero and his oft-overlooked, sarcastic little sidekick...
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