The Forgotten Heroes Chapter 2 “An Unlikely Partnership.”

Once the pleasantries were over it was a long and quiet walk threw the forest you and the strange elf woman who had a sack full of hexed boar organs. The female Orintash elf Eve and yourself walking out forest smelling of raw meat from the dead boar slung over your back You thank the Gods that Eve had a net with her or else you would have to carry the beast in pieces. The night air was crisp and still had a harsh breeze to it as the night stars illuminated your path threw the forest as you both hoped your stench wouldn’t attract a lone wolf or a bear on it’s last forage before it goes into its hibernation. The moonless night was not uncommon this time of month but you couldn’t shake an eerie feeling off. Free meat for a day or two the rest you can sell you think to yourself still you wonder what Eve was doing in the forest alone at night with a net. The bartender said the hunter for the village was a woman but he never said it be a elf woman. Then again your not surprised he didn’t mention that either not many still remember the great war of Vanderbilt the elf warlord who went on a rampage to burn the planet to ashes but a few old ones might still hold grudges and seeing how an old one is hard to tell from a normal human most try not to stir up trouble.

Eve started to hum a tune to end the quiet that filled the air. Her tune was so beautiful yet sad you heard the tune before in the temple of Hermight the ancient deity of the Southern plains elves. “You know many songs of the Hermight deity?” You asked Eve who looked at you with complete surprise. “Is that who it’s about huh never knew that I just always had this song stuck in my head sometimes I find myself humming it with out even realizing it.” Eve smile had a kind and innocent aura about that you can’t seemed to remember were you seen it before you just knew you liked it. “Oh it’s a ear worm.” You say while Eve looked freaked out and frantically wiped at her ears. “Where? Crush it kill it!” You chuckle softly at Eve “No an ear worm is what you call a song that you hum or sing absent mindedly.” Eve shuddered “I hate bugs there the worst always sneaking up on you.” Eve says as she still absent mindedly wipes at her ears.

The both of you walk out of the forest only to see a mob of villagers trying to hold back the same behemoth from the pub earlier tonight. “Out of my way I’ll raise the whole town unless you bring that Cox felter to me.” The fat man yelled as his nose seemed release a high pitched whistle as he breathed. You swing the heap of dead boar on the ground with a sickening noise coming from the meat as it slowly slumps down. “You looking for me fat man?” You ask as an evil smile spreads over your face. “There he is that’s him boss he attack me with a cheap shot made my nose musical like.” The fat man said to a sickly thin man who wore baggy loose clothes two sizes to big and a straw hat. “You the one who hurt my worker?” The thin man said as he chewed on a straw of hay that laid in between his crooked yellow teeth. The crowd immediately spread apart. “Oh who in the fuck is this guy?” you asked looking at the strange man while Eve step away from you and disappears into the crowd of people. “I’m the law around here boy and you be right to keep your mitts off my town guards.” The strange man said while he stepped closer to you. “I didn’t start the fight I just ended it.” You explain as you prepare for a another fight. “Besides you don’t look like the knightly type to me.”

“Oh that inbred royal piss ant has no hold over this town. I’m the law and my people are the enforcers of my law.” The sickly thin man says to you flashing a crooked smile. “You may boss these folks around here but I’m not no country bumpkin.” You say to the man as he spat out the hay and kicked you in the chest before the straw hit the ground. You stumbled back a bit but regain your footing. “Your a quick one ain’t you.” You say with a hand over the spot where you were hit. The thin man then went for another attack but this time you throw some spark dust at him hoping to blind him. The man stop mid attack and jumped back only to laugh at your attempt to fight back. “You fight dirty I like that say if you land a single blow on me I might have a job proposition for you.”

You laugh at the man’s weak offer. “I’ll not be one of your hired goons to push old sellers and poor farmers around.” The thin man looked offended by your dismissive attitude. “That’s the only offer you’ll get that you come out alive.” You take your coat off and let the heavy river rat fur fall to the floor. “It’s been a while since I had a real threat to my life.” You say to the man as your patch of the Sixth Dragon shines in the starlight. The crowd gasp and begins to run away. Kinghts of the Sixth Dragon are fearsome warriors of King Felton of the Fallen Land.

Even the thin man takes a step back and let’s his hand slip out of his baggy sleeve revealing a glove with sharp long blades were the fingers should be and pulls out a scythe from his back. “A knight from the Fallen Lands your far from home and not welcome here I’m going to get a huge bounty from your corpses.” Said the thin man as the behemoth stood next to him with a wabber jack club in his hand small but deadly steel and wooden club mostly used by town guards for “crowd control”. “Come here I like getting payed to kill even more when it’s someone I hate.” The fat man said as you grab your silver axe and prepare for them to strike. You didn’t have to wait long the obese one charged at you nearly flying towards you with his wabber jack swinging. You jump back and make the fat man miss, but the thin man used the fat man’s girth to hide his attack as he jumps at you from behind the fat man. Being sliced down your chest by the scythe and you use the axe to block the knived glove from clawing your face open.

Just as you thought you were done for a huge booming blast echoed in the still night air. There was a short dwarf woman holding a scatter gun just as tall as her. The dwarf woman had tough leather gloves and seemed to wear a herbalist smock. “That’s enough all of you.” Eve had her bow aimed at the fat man. You step back quickly and lower your axe. “There won’t be any killing tonight. Johnny take your fat lap dog and head on out of this town you boys are drunk.” The dwarf said as the fat man turned around and started walking away. “This ain’t over knight.” Johnny said as his scythe scraped on the dirt as he stepped away from you. “Thanks but I had them under control.” You say as you pick up your coat from the ground along with you bounty of boar meat.

“Bull…you were as good as dead if Eve hadn’t came and got me.” The dwarf woman said as she started to walk to the town and Eve beckoned you to fallow. Picking up the boar meat you fallow them into a closed shop. The inside of the shop smelled of herbs and you felt the air heavy with magic. “Magic? A dwarf who practices magic there’s something you don’t see very often.” You say as you study the different glasses filled with magical liquids. “It’s passive magic nothing illegal trust me the Inquiry has been here over a dozen times trying to prove I harbor a witch elf.” The dwarf says as she stops you just before you knock over a bottle. “My name is Grace by the way feel free to use the kitchen to chop that thing up I have work to do just don’t spill anything unless you have coin to buy it.” Grace then pulled Eve along into a separate room and closed the door.

After chopping the boar up you wash your hand in the washing basin as a automaton walked in and started to make a tea. You remember the automatons from the royal court. You were just promoted to Kinght by your patron Sir. Blackwell the knight who took you on as squire only three years ago. Proving yourself in battle for defending your patron from the hoard of beastkin in the battle of little hump. You were to be knighted by the Lord Felton and you were busy getting dressed in your fine clothes given by Sir. Blackwell. The automatons busy clearing up any mess you made. “The Royal court will be expecting you in ten minutes.” The automaton said in it’s cold and emotionless voice. “Tea sir?” The automaton asked you snapping you back to reality. “Uh..no dismissed.” You tell it as the sun begins to rise up. Perfect timing this means you can sell off this meat to a shop keeper you head out the door with the bundled boar meat in your arms.

Grace was busy mashing up the cursed meat and herbs into a fine paste then tied it up while rubbing some magic dust on it then speaking some ancient tounge and blowing a kiss she held it in her hand. “Done…now we just give it to the buyer and that’s 300 gold finstas just like that.” Grace said while Eve looks at the unimpressive sack. “What’s it do?” Eve said poking it with her finger. “It’s to help get a woman pregnant.” Eve backs away quickly looking completely grossed out. “It needs to be in the females vagina during.” Grace said as Eve looked relived still she wiped her finger off on her shirt. “Well it smells nice at least.” Eve said ” I’m going to find Buck and make sure he isn’t in trouble.” She says as she sees you walking down the street threw a window.

As you walk into a shop the owner you see it’s the same old drunker from last night. “Oh it’s the rude bastard from last night. What ya want?” He ask still slurring from his late night drink. “Oh old man I’m just here for trade I was hoping to sell or swap this meat for some supplies.” You ask as you drop the wrapped meat on the counter. “Hmmm…that looks like fine meat but I need all my coin I’m glad to trade some goods.” The old man fuzzy eyebrows rise as he tries to look at your face. “Fine I’ll take fifteen iron ball and half a horn of powder.” The old man gathers the stuff as Eve walks in.

“He not giving you trouble is he old timer?” Eve asked the old man as he handed the stuff to you. “No more trouble then last night at least he be less rude.” Eve stared at you disapprovingly. “Don’t be rude to gramps he just an old drunk shop keeper. The old man drops the supplies on the counter and starts to talk but hic-ups instead. “I’m not a drunk point ears I just partake in a few drinks every night.” Eve gave Gramps a look that made him turn around and start rearranging the shelves. “Say Gramps have you heard of this bandit hunter the crimson streak?” You ask as Gramps nods yes. “Aye she used to be one of this town’s young children. She spends her time hunting down bandits for the King. She a fine lass but she been on the other side of the island.” You grab Eve and step out of the store and you reload your pistol. “Gah-olly that thing looks ancient.” Eve says as she stares at your pistol. “It was my father’s I…inherited it when he died.” Eve wanted to ask something but decided not to instead she pulled you back to Graces once she saw the the Knights of the Fifth Dragon marching down the street.

Once your safely back in Grace medical shop Eve tells you of the Knights marching down the street. “There probably out for there weekly ale delivery but it be best to stay hid until they leave.” You look out the window and see the Knights carrying heavy pike axes and claymores as a man in fine robes of slik rides on his mount. Knights of the fifth Dragon have kill on sight orders for any knight of the sixth Dragon. All Dragon Kings are related somehow but most have stayed feuding over long forgotten battles against the Mad Wizard over two old ones life times ago. Its mostly for show as most knights of the Dragons stay in there respected kingdoms but if they ever venture out of the safety of there own realm alone most don’t make back alive.

“That’s the Mayor?” You ask Eve and Grace. “That’s the prick and his personal guard.” Grace says with a hate in her voice you know all to well. “You should hide in the attic there’s a cot there you can sleep just don’t snore loudly.” Eve shoved you to the back and up the attic ladder. “Thanks for just renting my spare room to a knight.” Grace said looking mad. “He needs to hide and you don’t want to turn him over to him do you?” Eve said as she gathered some ingredients together. “Make me a seers drink will you?” Grace looked at Eve then said. “You like this man don’t you?” Eve face blushed with embarrassment. “No just make the potion. Please and Thank you.” Eve then walked out the door turning to say. “I’m off to bed.”

You heard the women talking but saw the cot under the window as the sunlight shined on the cot. You layed down and felt the warmth of the cot enveloped you as you drift into a deep sleep.

The sleep wasn’t as peaceful as you hoped images of you in a cave with the lone hunter then fish freshly cooked fly past you. A long quite walk to a burnt town and the mayor a bit younger looking helping the survivors. The hunter taking back to his cabin all these images swirl around your head only to be awaken by Grace. “Here take this seers drink Eve is waiting for you out back.” You gather your things and head out back and find Eve waiting looking nerves. “What’s wrong?” You ask Eve. “They know your around here the Knights are searching so we have to go…now.” You and Eve head out towards your camp just as Grace’s front doors fly open and Knights of the fifth Dragon along with an Inquiry agent burst in the shop. “I have some questions to ask you she dwarf.” The Inquiry agent said in a cruel tone.

---