《The Tempered Heart》
Ch.1: Vermin
''These are my memoirs and a recollection of my adventures as I remember them. In the many years of tribulation I lived through I like to think that I amassed an ample amount of wisdom. Now, as I grow old and weary, the desire to share what I have learned and leave a legacy for people to draw from grows each waking day.I hope you can learn frommy mistakes and find inspiration in my moments of clarity.''
(The ascendant, 1:1)
"Get a move on kid!" the man hollered down from atop his stagecoach. "If we don''t arrive before high noon your mother will have my head!" he said, only half-joking. "Hop on so I can give these oxen a good workout, I don''t want themgettin'' lazy."
"Yes sir!" the boy responded, gingerly lifting himself onto the wagon and using one of the many crates of supplies, groceries and other miscellaneous goods as a perch to survey the surrounding forest.
The forest in question was widely known as the Northern part of the Bolg thicket and was mostly made up of tall ash, maple, cedar and apple trees. It was bountiful and supported a large variety of wildlife like deer, rabbits and a spectrum of native birds making it a good hunting ground.
Local villages were very grateful for this natural splendor and made sure to keep it this way by culling predators and ensuring none of the prey animals were overhunted, holding the natural balance in equilibrium.
Fall was just beginning and colorful leaves were mixed in among the healthy greens, all the while the first small caps of mushrooms were digging their way out of the soil in vibrant red and blue hues.
Slowly the large wooden wheels began to turn in the loose dirt and the coach began moving at a comfortable pace, barely outspeeding somebody who would be ambling along the path next to them.
"I can''t wait to get home to that mother of yours. I sure hope she still has some of that stew left from the day before yesterday, and I bet you wanna play with thatherbalist''skid again, right?" the man asked, theoverly familiar attittude with his mother in no way alienating or bothering the child, after all the man had been taking care of him and his parent for a year now, in fact, he had been around since the day he returned from the war with the unfortunate news that the boy''s father hadfallen in battle. His name was Olivar and the youth was relatively used to his presence now.
"Yes sir."
Though he still had trouble finding out how to hold up a conversation with the adult air around him.
"Sigh...You know, Trifinn? I know it''s still tough to accept that I am going to be with the two of you from now on but you can still speak freely in front of me, ok?"
"O-okay... I''ll try!" Trifinn answered sheepishly, but with an honest resolve backing the words.
"Atta boy. By the way back in town I was told that group you fancy so much was gonna look into our village for establishing their office. What was it... the adventurers? kind of a cheesy name if you ask me" Olivar said with a cocky smile. "Rumors are that the caves up north have some monsters in them and they think it might be a good place to train some of their new recruits if they can manage to confinetheir nests to the cave systems."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"W H A T ? You mean it?!" The barely 10 year old boy blurted, his voice cracking slightly at the sudden change in volume. "The Aldnor Adventurers are coming to us with their awesome gear and everything? And monsters! Aren''t you scared? What if they attack the village! We should go to the city and sta-"
"Calm down Trifinn!" He stifled a chuckle "That really made you come out of your shell didn''t it?" The man interrupted, wiping a tear out of the corner of his eye. "It''s not a done deal yet but yeah, it is very likely they will open at least a small branch, also you don''t have to worry about the monsters. It''s just some small species that apparently breeds pretty quickly but hardly proves a challenge in combat." Olivar explained, turning his head to face Trifinn. "Nothing that I can''t easily deal with."His index finger pointing to the Iron Sword strapped around his hip. "They seem to be scared of the villages so just don''t wander off to far for a while until that guild has their population under control around here."
"Okay, but only if you show me how to use that sword!" he replied with a smug grin.
"Cheeky brat. Hmmm... I just might if you mother is n- *Thwack*What the?!" The two oxen bellowed in rage. "Hold on tight Trifinn! Something startled the Oxen. Grab onto something quick!"
"Wha- Okay!" The boy cried in surprise and did his best to grab onto the stacked crates below him before *THWACK* a fist-sized stone, coming from the shade of the thicket hit him on the temple and sent him careening off the wagon and into the underbrush below.
''A singular moment of carelessness can lead to dire consequences. A lesson I would learn the hard way this day.'' (The ascendant 1.2)
The pain was dulled by his faiding consciousness. Trifinn tumbled down the sloped forest floor. Arms and legs getting scratched by brambled bushes and his soft body getting bruised by the quick descent until...*Crash*he came to a halt.
Trifinn awoke to a searing pain throughout his whole body. He had never felt this muchof it before in his short life and was left stunned by the sensation. His skin felt raw, hot andsearing against the cold earthen ground and his breath was ragged and fast.
He slowly opened his eyes and immediately regreted the decision when the blood dripping from the gash on his forehead ran into his left eye. He tried to wipe it away but found that he could not move his left arm. Gritting his teeth, he tried to stand up and realized soon that as he tried his right knee would buckle under his own weight. After a long struggle he resigned himself to waiting and enduring the pain as best as he could. ''Olivar will surely come help me soon'' he thought, holding back tears as best he could.
...
After a few minutes of what seemed like hours had passed Trifinn heard a rustle in the brush coming from the direction of the trail. He listened, ''that must be Olivar coming right now'' he trusted, and just as he collected his breath to call out for help he indeed heard the voices of somebodysearching for him. Panic welled up in him and his chest beat violently at the terrible realization... whatever attacked the wagon was out looking for him.
"I''m sures it''s ! I hear crash." the voice croaked in guttural high-pitched tones.
"Movesthen ratbrain! We fin the human piglet soon an get reward." a second one rang out in a way something that imitated speech would, rather than something that knew it.
"Yes..." It had to gulp its saliva down. "I smells the blood... close..." then the voices went dreadfully silent.
The boy had a million thoughts running through his head. ''I''m going to die! They will eat me! They will find me! I WILL DIE!'' He could not run, his state did not allow it. So he looked around himself in a frenzy searching for something, ANYTHING to defend himself with. More out of instinct than anything else.
The ground was barren except for some leaves and the sticks that he dragged with him so he took the longest one he could find, laid it down beside himself and tried to look and sound as still as he could. He closed his eyes and waited with his makeshift weapon at his side.
Ch.2: Affliction
''Green and brown skin, abrasive and rough like that of a leper, yet slippery when you think you might have it in your grasp. A wide, gaping maw filled with razor sharp teeth like broken glass,defiantto let go once they draw blood.
Fear the Goblin. It is a true incarnation of man¡¯s deadly sins. It can appear when you are most vulnerable and it knows not the concept of honor. A fearsome foe to even experienced adventurers and a bane to all others.''
(The ascendant, Bestiary x.1)
They drew closer to the small human child.Its eyes were closed and from the wounds it seemed deceased or at least too weakened to fight back, an easy kill. They would take the carcass and bring it back to the heart of the mountain, after they satisfied their own hunger that is. Restraint was a concept foreign to them.
¡°the master gonna be pleaased with such a good find.'' the smaller of the two creatures said. ''we gon be Hobs at last.¡±
¡°Nihihihihi... yes big, strong Hobs!'' The other one gabbed. ''Is... easier to carry if we takes care arms and legses tho.¡± it proposed.
''Yesses tasty thigh meat!'' The thought alone made the small Goblin salivate in glee. ''I gets first bite!'' It cried, the firm muscles hidden under its small, slender frame suddenly bulging and springing into action as it jumped atop its seemingly helpless quarry!
Before Trifinn could react the monster was upon him and dug his teeth into his leg. The pain was terrible as the Goblin ripped into his soft thigh and the boy very nearly passed out, but as his strength faded and his mind was clouded, his muscles started to move on instinct alone. He gripped the branch in his hand so hard that his knuckles turned a boney white and forced out a desperate cry: "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHRRRRRRRRR!" making the Goblin look up from his horrifying feast. The result of the next exchange was simple, a very soft eyeball met with the pointed wooden speartip. A reaction the goblin most certainly did not expect. The branch dug deep into the Goblins eye cavity, making the eyeballplainly explode in a gory mess and forcing its way through the optical nerve and at last into the brain, killing the creature instantly.
The second goblin was left stunned by the events that had just transpired. But the boy, though awake and conscious, was standing at death¡¯s door with the amount of blood he had lost.
''Push it a little more and stay away from the pointy stick and then the prey is mines-''
"TRIIIIIFINNNNN! Where are you boy?!" Olivar shouted desperately, forcing the remaining Goblin to completely lose his train of thought and as any sane goblin would do in its figurative shoes, it bolted off and did what its species did best, live to pillage and kill another day. Luckily for the boy goblins are extremely cowardly when facing a threat alone, but grow exponentially more daring when in large groups. Had Trifinn not killed his companion, then things might have turned out differently.
Trifinn never felt this relieved before. He closed his eyes for now and slept a deep and long slumber. He had survived.
Congratulations! Trifinn Lv.0 Innocent became Trifinn Lv.1 Survivor
''And that was my first encounter with a monster. A far cry from the stories you would hear from the bards. No glory, no epic loot, no maidens. Just a boy who managed to beat the odds through some wit and a whole lot of luck. But through this small encounter the young me learned invaluable lessons.
Never underestimate even the weakest of enemies, especially when caught off guard. Be wary of your surroundings even if you deem yourself secure, and most importantly of all, a little hope, however faint is never without worth.''
(The ascendant 1.3)
Trifinn woke up to pain a second time...today? was it still today? He had a hard time gathering his thoughts. Unlike one would imagine though, his mind did not push away the traumatic events that had transpired, instead every minute detail was burned into his head.
The terrifying monstrous visages that tried to eat him alive, The burning pain that flared back up when he thought about his injuries and the heavy feeling as the monsters limp body feel onto his and pushed the air out of his lungs. It had to have been a nightmare, yet as he opened his eyes he saw the unmistakable reality of his nearly completely bandaged body, in his room, back on his family¡¯s small homestead...
It had all been so very real.
As he slowly got used to the strain he began to think. ''I really was fortunate back there, wasn''t I? If the pain had overwhelmed me and I''d have passed out... I don''t wanna think about it... No. I have to do exactly that. Dad always said thatmen are the sum of their experiences. If I want to become brave and strong then I have to remember every detail and learn from it. This was the first monster I killed with my own hands and next time I won''t have to cower on the ground. I ''ll face them on my own terms.''
''Olivar said they would stay away from towns so I guess I won''t do that anytime soon... but what if they just don''t feel like that anymore and come with that master they talked about?''If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Wait... Oh my god! I have to tell the adults about that!'' Trifinn forced himself into a sitting position and had to fight a strong dizziness to keep himself upright ''Master...aduls...''he stammered, and it was only then that he realized that the bandages around his leg were still seeping blood. At first he thought the wound might have opened up again while he was trying to sit up but he quickly dismissed the idea as he surely would have felt a large flesh wound like that open up.
Over the course of what could have been ten minutes or an hour the dizziness never really subsided as the bandage was soaked in blood and the white sheets were slowly being stained red, the morbid display did not scare Triffin as the whole situation still felt much too surreal to him. He thought about calling out... a few times but his slow and steady blood loss just made him revert back to a befuddled state, and he noticed that the linen he was lying on must have been changed a lot before if the blood just kept going like this.
Just then a key turned in the lock of his door and a familiar face entered the room with armfuls of bedsheets.
"Trifinn why are you... TRIFFIN! You''re awake! Oh god and you look terrible! OLI! Please come quick. Bring the healer!" His mother called out and Olivar came rushing down the hallway, a bulky woman in her late thirties equipped with a large leather satchel in tow.
"Uh...didn''t you say he wouldn''t be awake for another 8 hours at least?" Olivar questioned the healer.
"This is unheard of." she responded in disbelief "He should not have gotten up this early in his anemic state! Lay him back down, the blood isn''t flowing to his head. He might pass out again!"
After they had exchanged the sheets and tucked Trifinn back in bed, the seeping became much less drastic. The whole exchange was very exhausting and he decided he might as well just sleep.
"Hrmph." Olivar snorted bemusedly. "We had nothing to worry about after all, Del. The boy must have gotten some of the fortitude from his dad. That idiot could chug ten pints of ale and still run 10 miles afterwards without breaking a sweat! No wonder he''s fine."
"FINE? Oli, really? Is this what fine looks like to you!? He''s been shredded to ribbons by these beasts! And what were you doing while he was fighting for his life?!" His mother shouted, much to the bewilderment of Trifinn, he had rarely heard his mother this upset.
"Look, I''m sorry Del. I wish I could have been there quicker but after I finally calmed the Oxen I looked back and the boy was just gone. I was lucky to find the exact place he fell in the first place. We should be grateful I got there in time." He calmed, trying his best to defuse the situation.
"Indeed." His mother was seething. "Had you been a little less "lucky" it would be you lying in this bed, staining the sheets with your blood now." She explained and the way she calmly stated this murderous intent made Olivar believe every syllable of it, proven by the beads of sweat that were forming on his forehead.
"I''m sorry to interfere in your little... argument." The healer interrupted. She knew how long these fights could go on for if left for themselves, and she had other patients to attend to. "I believe I have solved the mystery of the bleeding."
Trifinns mother and Olivar immediately turned all attention to her.
"Monsters are unfortunately not a field I have much expertise in with how rare their attacks have been." She related "I also don''t believe a more qualified healer fromAldnorwould arrive here before the boy would be in a truly life threatening condition."
"It''s fine. We want to hear your judgement." They both agreed, their hostilities now irrelevant in the face of Trifinn¡¯s safety.
"You see, the symptoms of Trifinn¡¯s condition are very similar to injuries caused by a bite of the slate skink, a native lizard. Although your son¡¯s bites are of a much larger scale. The lizard¡¯s venom causes the blood to stop clotting around injuries and keeps them open, a threatening condition that, if left untreated, could wear out even animals much larger than the lizard."
"That sounds terrible! What can we do?" Trifinns mother interjected.
"I was just getting to that mrs. Deldre. If this theory is correct then we are actually very much in luck. I have a blood thickening agent to counter the lizard¡¯s bite at my workshop. I don''t usually need this much though so the price might be a little steeper than usual, I believe you can handle it though. The child will be fine after the paste is applied and the body has the chance to get rid of the venom naturally. Afterwards the wound should close as usual."
The healer made a mental note. ''I can do this for these two... but if attacks like these increase there is no way I can keep up with the demand on my own. Perhaps I can talk to that lunatic Ahab about it? God...I hate visiting that fool."
Deldre sucked in some air. She had been holding her breath for the whole explanation. "That is relieving to say the least. I can''t thank you enough. Oli will prepare the money immediately! I will walk you back to your shop to get the medicine. I don''t want Trifinn to suffer any moment longer than necessary!" her commandeering air made everyone move swiftly and effectively and soon Trifinn¡¯s wounds were treated with a black paste that quickly formed a lasting scab.
"That worked like magic." She said, genuinely surprised at the speed at which the paste worked.
"Never underestimate the healing powers of nature, mrs. Deldre. Now if you excuse me, I have other house calls to make and many of my older patients can get a little...cranky. Be sure to tell me if anything unnatural happens though. I can always make exceptions."
"We''ll be sure to!" The two women exchanged farewells and the healer was sent on her way.
When Trifinn rose from his bed the sun was shining from such an angle that its rays directly hit his face, making it comfortably warm and cozy while also being just irritating enough to the eyes to make you want to wake up. He knew this as the sign that it was now early morning. He was still aching, but it was nothing against the pain of the day before.
He saw Olivar sitting on a small wooden chair by the door, his eyes were staring straight ahead in a daze. Trifinn noticed that dark rings had formed around them. He was a rugged man with a rather broad frame, dark brown hair and a short stubbly beard that never seemed quite even. When he was not in his joking demeanor he usually seemed deep in thought and had a very keen, stout look to him. A quality Trifinn admired a lot in adults because it made them seem so incredibly safe and reliable to be around. He wanted to look like that someday too.
Eventually Olivar felt the eyes on him and snapped out of his stare. "Oh! Triffin! Good morning little guy. How ya feelin?" He beamed a grin as bright as the sun.
"Good morning Olivar." Trifinn replied and for some reason he felt very at ease right now inf ront of Olivar, not like his usual insecure self. "I''m sore all over and my leg is still hurting really bad...but I think I''ll be fine."
"That''s very, very good. I''m really glad you''re okay little guy. Honestly, I was damn scared for you, but you pushed through and spared me a very untimely end through your ma, you know how scary she gets with me."
"Olivar about what happened in the fore-"
"YES! About that! Really impressive kill you got. Not many can say they actually defeated a monster."
"Is that all that cool? I just kind of grabbed a stick and pushed it. I don''t even remember it well. Also it''s not what I was trying to tell y-"
"It''s VERY cool. Just the fact that you lived to tell the tale is proof enough of that. Look, I even fashioned a little something for you, and the next time you go adventuring don''t make me carry your loot back for you."
Trifinn was getting annoyed at Olivar for the consecutive interruptions. As he saw what Olivar made for him though, all that had been forgotten.
"Of course I also brought back your weapon of choice and took the liberty to make some minor improvements to it."
"WOOOOOOW! This is so awesome! I can go on adventures now!" Triffin could not believe his eyes. A real sword to defend himself with and necklace made of actual monster parts.
Olivar had to chuckle to himself. ''Children really are easy to impress aren''t they.''
Ch.3: Distress
¡°What are levels?¡± Trifinn finally asked. This question had been burning on his mind for a while now. He had already told Olivar about the mysterious master character the goblins had been talking about and the man had promised to inform the village head.
¡°Hmm¡ I supposed you would have gotten one after that encounter. Thing is, nobody really knows all that much about it. Most people never get any if they lead completely normal lives. They stay on the 0th level, innocent. People who experienced battle don¡¯t always have them either but it¡¯s pretty common on the battlefield, suppose it has something to do with fighting monsters.¡±
¡°Is it a bad thing then?¡±
¡°Oh nonono. It¡¯s great actually. Makes you just a little bit stronger, smarter and faster than before. Nothing huge but every advantage counts, right? If you could lift 10 kilos before then you can probably lift 12 now. Something like that anyway. I have a few levels myself actually. I¡¯m a proud level 3 Soldier.¡± He explained, beaming with self-respect.
¡°Awesome!¡± Trifinn replied with stars in his eyes. ¡°And why am I a survivor and you a soldier?¡±
¡°That¡¯s got something to do with the way you obtain it I think. Most of the guys I knew from various battlefields were soldiers as well but sometimes we also saw a few survivors pop up after villages were sacked by the enemy, or huntsmen when people got attacked by monsters while looking for food. Don¡¯t really know if the name makes a difference though.¡± Olivar explained, stroking a nonexistent goatee.
¡°Okay¡so how do I get a higher level?¡±
The middle aged mercenary closed his eyes and became pensive at that question. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re old enough to be thinking about stuff like that for now Trifinn¡ your leg is healing well so how about you go outside to play for now. Go visit your friend. I bet he¡¯s been worried sick. Oh, and don¡¯t forget to tell your mom when you do.¡±
¡°But¡¡±
¡°No buts. I¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯re a little older.¡±
¡°Oh fine.¡± The boy finally answered with a dejected look in his face. He¡¯d find out eventually he thought, smirking inwardly. And then he would finally become an adventurer.
After about a week of being bed ridden and taken care of, Trifinn was eventually allowed to leave the house. That is, of course, after his mother had thorougly instructed him on where he was allowed to go to in the first place. Never beyond the treeline. ¡®Apparently the monster situation hasn¡¯t improved.¡¯ Trifinn concluded, or maybe his mother was just very worried for him, either explanation was plausible and he decided not to test her patience on the matter. He was promptly handed his lunch, a quarter loaf of white bread, two red apples and a waterskin. All packed in a small cloth bundle that was just big enough so that if you made a knot it could be attached to the tip of his toy sword and comfortably carried on one¡¯s shoulder.
As soon as he was out the door he took in a deep breath. ¡®Freedom at last¡¯ he thought. His home was by no means uncomfortable but being stuck in it for a whole week took a lot out of a boy who loved to roam around and had the most fun when he was with his friends¡or friend rather, as there were very few children around his age in the small village. All in all there was him, three brothers aged 14,15 and 17 respectively that he could never get along with, two twin girls at the age of 5 who Trifinn had no problems with, but were just too young to seriously play with and finally Trifinn¡¯s best friend Alvar aged 10, same as Trifinn.
The village was relatively small and travelers were somewhat rare. Once the guild was established here that might change depending on their success though, at least that is what he overheard his mom and Olivar talk about. Enterprising merchants who hope to profit by lightening adventurers of their loot or young adults trying their hand at hunting monsters might make their way to the small backroads village and start an industry of considerable size.
Right now though, none of that was visible. There were twelve houses in total. Out of those one was the general store, another the herbalist¡¯s workshop, a storehouse for the winter and a cattle farm where the family¡¯s oxen were being kept when Olivar had no need of them. The remaining houses were rather simple wooden homes.
Trifinn made his way down the main road, which was only labeled as such because it was essentially the only road of the village. It saw somewhat more traffic and was cobbled only a few years ago when harvest had been lucrative. All other paths leading to the various cottages were unpaved.
Most buildings were placed around the large forest clearing surrounding the village rather haphazardly, but in more recent times most were built situated around the main road to make expansion easier and keep all shops and communal constructions more centralized.
Wooden stakes with brass sconces were placed roughly 10 meters apart from each other to be lit at night, keeping animals away from the village. An assortment of flowers had been planted at the roadside to the villagers delight as well.
As Trifinn walked, he felt a somewhat annoying itch in his right leg. It was merely a remnant of the problems it had made him before and now only served as a slight bother. The wound did leave scarring, especially around the teeth marks, but the boy felt rather comfortable with the thought as he liked the idea of his body showing the wealth of hardships he had braved.
The road was empty right now. ¡®No wonder.¡¯ Triffin thought. It had already been midday, and when no traders arrived and everybody was at work it was usually rare to see anybody. The street was most ¡°bustling¡±, if you could even call it that, in the early morning hours when everybody was getting groceries at the general store as well as from the cattle farm, and in the late afternoon when people were meeting up in the small town square to discuss happenings and where to drink once the children were sent to bed.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The herbalist¡¯s workshop had always been the most unique building of the village. It was standing directly opposite of the general store and had a small terrace at its front where a variety of plants were hung to dry, these included all kinds of bulbous roots, long vines, tree barks, mushrooms and flowers. Tufts of smoke seemed to billow out of the stone chimney nearly the whole day and the area surrounding it always had an odd smell to it, sometimes pleasant like tea and other times sharp and irritating to the nose like strong spices. Today the smell was tangy and sweet, like biting into a mandarin skin and all, an olfactory marvel really.
The door had been exchanged for a thin veil of a green sort of fabric that Trifinn could not identify, presumably so the building would not get too humid as the plants lost moisture. For that same reason the shop also had more windows than was usual with two on each side of the house, or as much as the villages meagre pooled knowledge about construction allowed them to make before the ceiling would come crashing down.
Lastly, a pompous wooden sign hung directly above the entranceway stating: ¡°Ahab¡¯s Herbs and Stimulants¡±
Triffin stepped inside.
"Heeey, trif is that you? Whats up little Dude?" a voice slurred out from beyond the vapor. " Heard bout'' that accident you had with your leg and all. Sorry about dat."
" Oh, no worries Mr.Ahab I''m all healed up now. *cough*" Trifinn responded, nearly choking on the thick smoke.
"Ahh that''s good to hear mate. Don''t get why you didn''t come to get some good herbs from me for the pain tho, your guy Oli said it wouldn''t be good for your head or somthin'' but that''s crap. We gotta be feelin good as much as we can. Yeah. I''ll stoke the fire to that."
Trifinn hardly believed it but the smoke got even thicker. The Windows tried their best to get it out but they never stood a Chance against ahab''s quality goods. ''From outside it has to look like the whole place is burning down'' Trifinn thought.
"*Cough* Sir. *Cough* is Alvar around?" he barely managed to say.
" Hmm. The kid is going to the river for me to fetch some reeds and water. Tell you what. You lookin mighty brave with that sword in your hand so why dontcha escort him back for me. I''m making it a special quest for you, rewards n all." Ahab joked, "gotta practice for when the adventurers arrive after all."
Wondering how Ahab could even have seen the sword through all the smoke, Trifinn answered: " Thank you Sir! I promise I won''t disappoint your expectations!" and promptly darted outside to carry out his objective.
"Funny kid." Ahab mentioned to no one in particular. Then he went back to his work in earnest. ''If I want to get done with that woman¡¯s ridiculously huge order then I need to pick up the pace a little.¡¯
Trifinn made his way down one of the side paths next to the road, falling into a slow run. After less than 200 meters he arrived at the gravelly shoreline of the sluggish Lahavet river, the only source of fresh water for the village in a radius spanning multiple kilometers.
The river was of considerable length going from the mountains up north, where it formed amidst the glacial region, all the way down to the continents capital Mara and then feeding into the verdant ocean. Unfortunately most stretches of Lahavet were impassable for boats, making it useless for trading purposes.
As always the river had a lot of debris floating along as a result of it leading directly through the thicket. One of the children¡¯s favorite pastimes involved fishing out whatever they could find and competing in who could amass the biggest amount of treasures. Trifinn could see a lot of interesting branches, some fruits and other curios flowing past but unfortunately there was no time to play. ¡®I have duties to fulfill after all.¡¯ he reflected.
¡°Pst! Trif! What are you staring at?! Come over here and hide yourself!¡± a familiar voice whispered.
¡°Wha?! Alvar it¡¯s you! Long time no see!¡± Triffin cried out cheerfully. ¡°What are you doing behind that rock?¡±
¡°Shut up you oaf! I¡¯m hiding. There¡¯s something in the river. Crouch down next to me.¡±
Trifinn quickly hid himself behind the conveniently child-sized boulder next to Alvar. ¡®I did it again.¡¯ He chastised himself. ¡®I have to be more aware of my surroundings!¡¯ He swore to himself not to be caught off guard again and turned to Alvar.
The serious boy named Alvar currently had his gaze firmly locked on the river. He was a little taller than Trifinn but skinnier and a little weaker when it came to bare strength. He had black hair that was long enough to reach his shoulders and a scholarly face that looked relatively unremarkable except for his vibrant green eyes and a pair of angled eyebrows that seemed to give him a permanent frown. That frown reflected his generally serious attitude relatively well though.
Trifinn peeked over his cover. ¡°What do you think it was?¡±
¡°I heard some kind of scream like a wounded animal, maybe a deer that feel into the river. Could be one of those goblin things that attacked you as well¡that¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about to be honest. Maybe one of them fell in and got carried up till here. If that¡¯s the case it could be really bad. No way from here to the forest except through the village, so it might attack someone.¡±
¡°If that¡¯s the case then I¡¯m gonna be there to stop it.¡± Trifinn mused heroically, brandishing his sword.
¡°No¡that¡¯s most definitely a bad idea. Dad told me to tell an adult immediately if I find something weird on my gathering trips.¡±
¡°Well he told me that I am to escort you back safely.¡±
¡°Pfff, as if I need YOU as an escort. I can take care of mys- wait what is THAT?!¡±
Trifinn focused his gaze on the riverbank and there was indeed something coming out of the water. He steeled himself for another encounter with his nemesis¡.but he could feel something was off.
Suddenly the calm waters rippled around the shoreline. Then, with a splash, a reddish thin and long limb shot out of the water and held on to the riverbank.
The odd tendril slowly dragged the rest of its body out of the water. You could hear a sloshing sound as the thing dragged its mass out of the now murky waters. It was about the volume of a large dog, though it was hardly as tall, rather it seemed like the thing was slowly spilling forward. The weird display enthralled Trifinn. He felt as though he heard faint whispers in the wind.
Without a warning the thing started to moan in agonized intonation and the boy finally saw something that made his whole body break out in a cold sweat. This was not just some oversized mollusk or a living ooze like he heard in stories. This thing had a human face, a hideous face contorted into an eternal shriek unleashing an unceasing cacophony on the human mind.
The writhing mass of inchoate red flesh was slowly making its way forwards, dragging itself with its horrifying meat tendril. A thing that should not exist. A living nightmare straight from the depths of the abyss and it was here. Right here on his doorstep.
¡®I could have dismissed it as a fever dream. I could have tried to forget what I saw that day. I chose not to.¡¯ (The Ascendant, 1.5)