Episode Three: 'Plundering the Village,' or 'Is that Treasure in Your Chest, or are You Happy to See Me?'
The Salamander lunged for Lewis’s face; its jaws snapped shut on empty space. The blade of his sword punctured the soft skin under its mouth, driving up through the skull. He yanked the sword free and somersaulted forward, avoiding a claw swipe from the second reptile. Spinning around on one knee, he swung at the creature’s arm, severing flesh and bone. It screeched, tumbling into the fresh corpse of its brethren. Blinded with pain, it snapped wildly at the dead body as Lewis moved forward and dispatched it.
Wiping his sword on a scrap of cloth, he noticed a glinting out of the corner of his eye. He stooped and picked up a small dagger that was partially concealed under some rubble. Flipping the dagger up in the air a few times, he turned and threw it. A third beast that was creeping into the building was struck in the eye; the blade was just long enough to pierce its small brain, killing it instantly. As it collapsed, Lewis stared at his hand. Well whoever I am, it looks like I know my way around a fight.
Seemingly free to explore for the time being, he began to search the dilapidated town. As he suspected, there was not much to be found. There were many corpses, long since decomposed into piles of bones picked clean by the numerous salamanders. The one location he had hopes for in finding equipment, the former smithy, lay bereft of anything but debris. I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised; this would be one of the first places to have been looted. The next building over (a tavern or inn from the look of it) yielded more positive results.
From the sign he could barely make out the name “Minotaur.” As he put his hand on the door, its hinges gave way and it collapsed inward with a splintering thud. Ouch! Guess I’d better be a little more careful. He lowered his arm from his face and pulled from it a couple of wooden shards that would have blinded him. Stepping over the remains of the door, he began a search of the first floor. Not much to see here. The dining area was fairly empty, with only one shoddy table left in the corner. There was needle brush growing up through the tiles, and he had to tread carefully to avoid being sliced by the razor sharp thorns.
In the kitchen, there was nothing but a burnt out stove and a couple of broken chairs, and in the corner… a chest! It was nothing more than a simple storage chest, but it was a chest nonetheless. Not that I had much luck with the last chest, but hey… you never know! There was a thick layer of dust on top and cobwebs surrounding it that he brushed off while examining it. The chest didn’t appear to have a lock; he looked around it for traps just to be safe. He threw the lid back, and sighed disappointedly; there was a lump of charcoal and a dusty bottle of booze inside.
He threw the lid back, and sighed disappointedly; there was an apple and some ash inside.
He threw the lid back, and sighed disappointedly; there were only some rusty fragments of metal inside.
He threw the lid back, and sighed disappointedly; there was a tattered shirt and a small tin ring inside.
STOP THIS!!!
Waves of nausea and dizziness overcame Lewis and the world around him felt like it was spinning. He shut his eyes, and took deep breaths until the feelings of confusion subsided. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in front of the chest. It was still covered in dust, unopened. What the hell was that, some sort of magical ward to prevent someone from finding treasure? Eyeing the chest suspiciously, he reached out and kicked it open with a foot.
Nothing happened.
Maybe I overpowered it… He peeked inside the chest. There was what appeared to be a heavy cloth covering something. Still not feeling a change, he reached in and grabbed the cloth. It was actually a cloak of decent quality. Underneath the cloak was a long sword in a scabbard, and a pair of leather boots. Well what have we here, a former adventurer turned cook? Lucky! He put on the cloak and swapped his sandals for the boots. Interestingly enough, the boots were a perfect fit. Picking up the long sword, he unsheathed it and took a few practice swings. It had superb balance. Nice, upgrade for me! Now I hope I find more chests like this one! He put the sword back in the scabbard and belted it around his waist. Time to get moving.
After spending another couple of hours exploring the ruined village (and running into more of the salamanders), Lewis found a few more items of possible use and decided to head northeast. Time to find this Maddock fellow. As he left via the main road he saw the village sign: “Welcome to Elderhollow.” Meh, good riddance. I’m done with these damn lizards and this ghost town. At the end of the road there was an intersection with a sign indicating that a town called Aridell lie to the northeast. Guess that’s my destination, hopefully I’ll arrive before sundown.
As if by prediction, shortly afterward he spied a bridge up ahead just as the sun began to touch the horizon. Just beyond he could see the silhouettes of buildings hinting at civilization. Hopefully it’s a little more inviting than the last place. He noticed a torch being lit off in the distance, in preparation for the evening. It’ll be nice to have someone to talk to other than a stupid lizard, he sighed to himself. Just before reaching the bridge, there was a rustling in the brush on either side of the road. A chorus of loud hisses emanated from fanged mouths.
“Why me?” He groaned.
Will our fearless adventurer make it across the bridge? Will the townspeople of Aridell welcome him with open arms, or the business ends of their swords? Find out in the next installment: Episode Four: 'The Village People,' or 'One Guard to Rule Them All!'
![Officer [Silver Rank]](./images/ranks/officer2.png "Officer [Silver Rank]")
![Officer [Bronze Rank]](./images/ranks/officer1.png "Officer [Bronze Rank]")
