Message #79707

[Sonya]

   TALES OF MAKAR

CHAPTER 1 - The Beginning

Shiverwood

Is just another dark night on Shiverwood one of these where the moon doesn’t even shine, sitting there barely lighted by a small bonfire is Danya, throwing logs to the fire and warming up jar of water on it, it has been raining recently and it was a cold night, even being close to the fire the condensation of her breath was visible.

She put some leaves into the boiling jar, she sighs while stirring up the fire. After a while she takes the jar and starts to blow it and in that moment she heard noises coming from the north side, she grab her knife and just when she was to get ready for combat, a familiar man appeared; he smiles to Danya and sits in the other side of the bonfire.

Danya: so it’s you…… Haven't seen you in a long while…Nova.

She sits once again putting the knife away, and resumes to cold down the tea leaves. Nova puts down his backpack and relaxes contemplating the surroundings. Then again look back at Danya and smiles.

Nova: so that’s what you have for dinner? a lady shouldn’t be drinking tea for dinner.
Danya: you came here to make fun of me? Who told you that my dinner is this tea?
Nova: not even when you grabbed your knife and stranded up, you let go of that jar..

Danya takes a look to the jar, shakes it a little and take a sip from it. Nova stops smiling look at his backpack and search for something, he grabs a piece of meat and takes a log from the floor, pierce the meat and put it on the bonfire.

Nova: here girl the dinner is on me.
Danya: I’m not giving you my tea leaves!

Nova chuckles and picks another log to stir up the fire even more.

Nova: you see…

He pauses while turning the meat around.

Nova: the Great War is almost over; the realms from the north are surrendering.
Danya: how you know that?
Nova: did you forgot I came from the north, I was on Icegate, I heard that Minas Ithil have been overrun and a Duke seceded, so once again the continent will be at peace.
Danya: peace? I never worried for these things, out life sucks already with or without wars, I fact is even better to be an orphan; otherwise we would be involved in that war.
Nova: but you see, it would be nice to be like a Noble, nice clothes, food, influence, you even get paid even if you do nothing.
Danya: nonsenses a life of adventures is a lot better, we are free to go wherever we want, and no follow orders.
Nova: well you’re right somehow, come this meat is ready, wanna go hunting tomorrow?
Danya: sure thing! We will split the loot in half.

They eat all the meat and stop stirring the fire; they lay to the side of the bonfire until the other day. In the morning Nova wakes up early and starts to stretch, he touch Danya with his foot several times to wake her up. Is still cold and the bonfire is completely off, they pack their things and start to move. After a couple of hours they find a cave and outside start to plan their strategy.

Nova: ok since your Adventuring Gear is bad you let me go first, I will charge fast and all who are still alive, wounded and stranded behind, then we..
Danya: no no no, that strategy is too much risky lets go slowly and we have better chances of no getting wounded.
Nova: but if we go with low risk many monster will go away, just come with me.

He runs inside the cave and Danya follows him quickly, at the entrance there were just some wolves and spiders, they continue deeply and found some undead, Nova takes out his short sword and Danya stops just four meters behind him, draws his knife and then they commence the battle. Their blows land true, shattering them to dust left and right. From the remains of the undead, they gather valuables and treasures. After resting for a while they continue to chase the next group, then the next one after the fifth group they decided to sit and rest.

Nova: you are out of shape already?
Danya: I’m not used to be aggressive hunting; neither have I gone this deep, I leave the caves after one or two groups.
Nova: you have to stop gathering things, the hunt is more profitable.
Danya: but I plan to live a while longer.

After a while they heard some loud noises, something is approaching, but the horrible thing is that is coming from behind, they look each other and stand up ready to fight, and suddenly entered the room a Undead Champion, bigger and stronger than others, and he wasn’t alone, he came with a organized group of undead, it seems they were outside the cave and have returned.
They get ready to fight once again, and then the battles rages on, Nova and Danya fight with zeal and strength - but the undeads are unimpressed. They feel neither pain nor fear, but they do. Lots of it.
Then they give up trying to defeat them and you only try to get away.

Nova: is useless they are too strong we have to run for it.
Danya: we are surrounded.
Nova: forget the Champion; let’s break for the weaker ones.

They manage to escape the room and try to leave the cave, but the champion is following them, Danya looks a lose stalactite on the side, and have an idea.

Danya: hey what if we use that lose rock to defeat the undead, you stay there and get their attention, I will climb up there and push.
Nova: well we have nothing else to do and they are on our toes.

Nova stop just below the stalactite and put himself in battle position, Danya climb the wall and manage to grab the rock butting his arm and legs around it, so is hidden, the undead enter the room, Nova invites them to fight making some swings with his blade. The champion steps forward accepting the challenge, and just when the champion was below Danya Nova gave the signal to drop the stalactite, but she couldn’t, it seems it wasn’t too lose. Nova has no other choice than to fight with the Champion, but was not match for him. After a while, he does not feel the blows anymore, and fall to the ground, and just when the Champion was about to do the finishing blow, Danya takes his knife and start to hit the stalactite in the crack with the tip of the knife, after several times the knife breaks and the rock falls, hearing this noise the champion look above and sees Danya falling down with the rock, with no time to move the pointy rock hit the champion on the skull breaking it and like that killing him. With no time to recover and with half knife on hand Danya stands up and stands up to protect Nova who was on the floor wounded, and standing in the top of the dead champion she says.

Danya: who’s next? Come and meet your death!

The remaining undead retreat to the deep of the cave, Danya fall to her knees tired, she looks around and found that’s the undead had something, she takes what it looks like a book, she puts it on her backpack, and moves to where Nova is, after putting him some bandages she takes him outside, for the weight she has to carry it takes her a while to do so. After couple of hours Nova wakes up, he can’t quite remember anything, except the pain. He find himself in a well tidy room, after looking around he find out that he is in a Inn. Looking to the side he sees Danya with her eyes widely open and with a big smile.

Danya: we did it Nova!
Nova: ouch, no so loud, my head hurts, tell me did you carry me here, it should have taken you a while. Did we manage to get something from the cave?
Danya: don’t worry for it we Adventurers help each other, and yes I manage to salvage some treasures, sadly I had to spend a lot on the room and healers, but here is your share.

Danya put a bag of silvers on the desk besides Nova’s bed, he grabs it and take a silver coin from it, then put it back into the bag.

Nova: what about you?

Danya takes the book she found and shows it to him.

Nova: come one! That must be an Ancient Tome, “An ancient book of unknown language and purpose. Not that anyone could read” that’s how adventurers call that common item.
Danya: do not worry Nova, rest and get well, I will go look for a sage so he can tell me what this book is.
Nova: ok take care.

She leaves the inn and asks around the people for a sage, after a while and wasting hours she finds out a sage and ask him about the book.

Danya: hey there Sage, I got something to show you!
Sage: what you have for me young child?
Danya: I want you to tell me what kind of book is this?

She hands over the book to the sage, he put on a monocle and after examining it for a while he closes the book, and put the monocle back to his pocket.

Sage: well well…
Danya: what? Don’t tell me that is an Ancient Tome?
Sage: wohohohohohooo! No my child it is not an Ancient Tome, this book is the “Tempus' Book of the Blessed” the nobles used these kind of book just to have prestige.
Danya: wow really?
Sage: is not useful for anything else, so you need to find a noble and sell it.
Danya: yay thanks!

Danya hugs the Sage and quickly leaves, she goes to a place where people put papers message into a big board in the streets, once there she cannot understand what is written in all these papers. Worried she stops a merchant who is selling goods and ask him for help to read the board, but he can’t help it since neither he can read. She asks around to mercenaries, people and other adventurers, with no luck. After a while a militiaman saw her worried and approached to her.

Militiaman: are you looking to read what is there?
Danya: yes please tell me.
Militiaman: you need to find a scribe, they normally work for nobles but you can find them in the tavern, of course you should pay, they don’t work for free.
Danya: thanks very much, and your name is?
Militiaman: Gary they call me Gary.
Danya: thanks Gary, I owe you one!

She quickly leaves to the pub, waving Gary the militiaman from a far upon entering the tavern she quickly smell the scent of ale, wine and smoke. She looks around for clues then approach to the barman.

Barman: need something to drink?
Danya: nooo no, I am looking for a scribe know anyone in here?
Barman: you don’t look like a noblewoman to me, neither you dress or talk like one.
Danya: who cares, I need a scribe to read something for me, and do you know anyone or no?

The barman spits in the floor, Danya tries to look around to no see it and the barman point to the corner and replies.

Barman: well you see that drunken guy over there, his noble master was killed during the Great War, and so he is unemployed talk to him.

She walks to the person she was referred, this man was totally drowned in ale and he couldn’t see anything beyond his hands. Pulling a chair who was on the floor Danya sits beside him.

Danya: are you the scribe?
Scribe: who are you are you perhaps a Noble? Are you here to hire me?
Danya: I need you to read something for me.
Scribe: my salary is 1 gold per week, hire me and I will read and write all letters for you.
Danya: well come with me, I need you to read something for me first.
Scribe: a test, very well.

With plenty of work the Scribe stands up and with even more work he tried to leave the tavern, Danya grabs him from the arm and pull him, she manages to get him to the board and then point him the messages that were there.

Danya: I need you to read me these.
Scribe: wait a minute… that’s not the way for a noblewoman to talk, neither a noblewoman would grab a commoner hand, who are you?

He says this while clearing his eyes and taking a deep glance at Danya, after a while he manages to see her clearly and gets angry.

Scribe: curse you! Why do you trick me?
Danya: calm down I just need help reading, I will pay you.
Scribe: pay me HOW!?
Danya: I have a unique item; if I manage to sell it I will buy you any drinks.

She takes out the book and show him to the Scribe, then put it back quickly.

Scribe: how can I know is not a common item?
Danya: don’t worry, tell me who are looking for items and once I sell it I will come back and make it to you; I will buy you a barrel of ale.
Scribe: Fine I will tell you, at least to finish quickly with you and go back to drink, is bad luck to waste time with commoners.

The scribe concentrates on the board and start to read all post, he sees wanted post, religion schedule, militia recruitment and after a while his eye opens widely. He points to a paper that was in the superior right corner of the board, then turn back to Danya.

Scribe: There! It says that a nobleman called Maduin, I heard from him he is the Baron of Yule.
Danya: so I have to travel to Yule?
Scribe: no, the message says he will be on Brackhead for a while, you know how to get there? Is close, the city to the southwest.
Danya: yes I know, I was born on these lands, and travel it daily, so what is your name, so I can come back and pay you.
Scribe: I am Mathis the scribe; if you find a noble who need reading just tell them I am available.
Danya: thanks Mathis I will leave right away, and do not worry I pay my debts.

She leaves right away toward Brackhead with nothing but a book with her who knows what perils await on the way to her destiny.