Chapter four

Chapter four

Dark Age Year 871
Eighth day of the First month

Rayner The Crimson Wolf, was one of the many travelling companions that Tharos picked up during our journeys throughout the lands of Aria. He was one of the few who lasted long enough to stay by his side until the end, when circumstances forced our group to drift apart and scatter to the four winds. What can I say about him? He was a mad, merry scamp with a heart of gold and nerves of steel. In many trying times, he had my or Tharos’ back when others would have faltered or succumbed to the insurmountable odds we always found ourselves facing. While he wasn’t what I would call a moral man or a paragon of virtue, there were things I had to respect and admire about him, even if I found some of his actions questionable.
—Excerpt From the memoirs of Cenric Dellcreek.

It was early in the morning when Tharos finally returned to camp. He sat down near the remnants of the now burnt-out campfire, staring at the cave wall without uttering a word. His body was almost completely motionless, aside from the faintest twitch of his nose or the movements of his chest as he breathed slowly in and out. The light in his eyes was almost vacant, as if he wasn’t entirely present or was lost in deep thought, the weight of which threatened to crush him entirely. Cenric sometimes couldn’t help but wonder what Tharos was thinking about.
As Cenric sat across from Tharos, chewing on some beef jerky and nuts, he acknowledged that it wasn’t the most ideal breakfast. However, he couldn’t complain too much. It was better than a piece of stale bread, which he would only receive after hours of intense labour or beatings.

As Cenric finished his breakfast, he glanced at Tharos and noticed that his armour was heavily dented, and his travelling cloak was even more tattered than before. He was also covered from head to toe in dried blood, most likely his own and that of his opponents. The sight left Cenric feeling slightly worried about him, even though Tharos could withstand blows that would fell any normal man. Cenric didn’t like the idea of Tharos putting himself in harm’s way just to ensure his own safety. While he didn’t fully trust Tharos, he also didn’t like the idea of being unable to help him. Despite the nagging suspicions in the back of his mind, it was a fact that Tharos had saved his life and freed him from the chains of bondage. And being useless was no way to thank his saviour.

I need to get stronger, if not for myself, then at least for the people of Dellcreek,
Cenric thought to himself.

He saw flashes of Estred and even Trorag in his mind for a few moments. Both of them gave him a warm and reassuring smile, reminding him of simpler times before he embarked on this journey into the unknown. He started to recall some of the good times, like when Estred would invite him to help her hunt and trap wild game. Although the closest they had in the village were small mice, birds, and the odd rabbit or two, the village mouser, a cat named Big Paws, often provided her with stiff competition in that regard. However, she never let that stop her, and he would often sit back and watch her for hours. As she stalked her prey like a cat on the hunt, often staying still as a statue. Her limber limbs and slim physique twisting into positions that were on par with the most skilled of acrobats. After hours of trying, she would often come back to him with hands full of birds or mice, her small reddish-brown eyes flashing with glee, along with a wide and toothy smile that would paint her rounded face.

Her intentions for these hunts were never to hunt them for food or help the village by getting rid of pests that could damage crops and affect the harvest. No, her intention was often to grow her collection of pelts. As she got older, her collection expanded to include animal bones, complete animal skeletons, and then fully stuffed and taxidermied animals. Cenric, along with many people in the village, always thought it was a little bit weird at times, especially when compared to what the other girls in the village around her age were doing or were interested in. Some people, including members of her own family and the village elders, were worried that this hobby of hers would start expanding to include humans or the other non-human races that populate the land of Aria as well, such as the Halflings, a small village of them, which was near Dellcreek.

However, he couldn’t help but feel drawn to her peculiar charm. There was something oddly appealing about her weirdness, even though his initial instinct was to keep his distance. Despite getting annoyed by her habit of giving him necklaces made of rabbit teeth or stuffed birds as gifts on his birthday or during seasonal festivals, he acknowledged that it was the thought that counted. However, he didn’t like nor did he want such gifts in the first place. The necklaces he could tolerate, but the stuffed birds always seemed creepy to him. The way they stared at him with their soulless black eyes, devoid of any spark of life, made him feel as if the eyes of death itself were watching him.

As Cenric was reminiscing, he felt an odd sensation, as if someone had just opened a door into his mind, and then his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden voice in his head.

(“Sorry to interrupt your trip down memory lane, Cenric, but I thought it would be good to inform you that we will have another person joining us on this journey.“) Cenric turned his gaze towards Tharos once more, noticing that Tharos was now sitting with a straighter posture, the light in his Amber-colored eyes had returned.

Although Cenric knew he didn’t have to look at Tharos when they talked this way, he did so because he preferred to make eye contact when speaking to someone, especially when it came to Tharos, whom he found hard to read at the best of times.

(“I wish you would warn me ahead of time before you do that. Also, you know I don’t like it when you start poking around in my head without my permission, Tharos.“)

(“My apologies, Cenric, but I am not always in control of the thoughts that are sent to me or what I see during a mental link. The only reason I was able to see them is that you haven’t learned how to protect your mind. The ability to control one’s thoughts and shield one’s mind from outside influences is a very useful skill to learn, Cenric, especially against mages or other magical creatures that can affect the mind.“)

(“Never mind. So, who is this new person who is going to be travelling with us, Tharos?“)

(“His name is Rayner. He was the person who was following us before. But don’t worry, he is not a threat to us any-more, as he and I have reached an understanding.“)

Rayner – now, that was a name Cenric thought he wouldn’t hear for a long time. He had believed Rayner had either perished in the city explosion or died in the camp. if there had been any other survivors, they surely would have been scattered to the four winds by now. However, he didn’t know how to feel about the fact that he was alive or the fact that he would be travelling with him and Tharos. Sure, out of all the people he had met, Rayner, although the most intimidating, was also one of the few people who was nice to him. Whenever he was told to deliver food and water to Rayner, instead of accepting it, Rayner would often allow him to have his food instead. He would say he would rather starve to death in a cell wrapped in chains and irons than submit to his captors.

It was a mindset that was very common among his people, as they only respected strength above all other things. As it was Strength was what allowed one to be free, to do as they pleased. Being made a slave or at the mercy of another person was considered a fate worse than death. Being viewed as weak or losing your freedoms at any time or any place was seen as being lesser in the eyes of his people. While he could understand and respect aspects of this mindset to a certain extent, he also felt that there were aspects of it that were short-sighted or foolish at best. For example, if his village hadn’t been burned down and most of its inhabitants killed or enslaved, and if he had been the only one captured and managed to make his way back to Dellcreek, he would be exiled and cast out. He would be considered dead to them, which was the best-case scenario. The most likely fate awaiting him would be to be killed for being considered too cowardly to die fighting to protect his freedoms. Maybe he would even be sacrificed to the gods so his people would be forgiven for bringing life to such a failure.

However, Cenric never viewed it as single-minded or as black and white as his people did. For him, going with the flow was more his style. It wasn’t out of cowardice or a desire for things to be easier; some might believe quite the opposite. He believed that sometimes it was better to sit back and let things play out to their natural conclusion, or to be more precise, only taking action when the time was right, and not reacting to every single provocation. While he could admit that this attitude and way of thinking had gotten him into a fair share of trouble at times, such as being captured and enslaved in the first place, so far it wasn’t turning out all too bad as things could be far worse than they actually were.

what dose strength mean for me though?
However before he could finish his thoughts, he heard Tharos voice again.

(“Do you have reservations about Rayner joining us, Cenric? You seem nervous. Do you know him?“)

(“Well, I wouldn’t say I know him personally, as I only know him by reputation. But we have met before if that what your asking.”)

(“I see so what of his reputation Cenric, what do people say about him.”)

(“Well, they say he is a warrior with a fearsome reputation, that he once slew 30 men in a single battle. He was also the leader of the infamous mercenary group Rayner’s Raiders.“)

(“hmm Interesting, he sounds like a useful person to have around.“)

(“Sure what ever you say Tharos. But are you sure you can trust him?”)

(“Well, I trust him enough to not stab us in the back. If that’s what you’re asking,“) Cenric responded by shrugging his shoulders. He didn’t fully agree with Tharos’ decision, but he didn’t have much to argue against it.

(“Good enough for me, I guess. So when will Rayner be joining us?“)

(“He should be joining us shorty. In the meantime, finish your breakfast and pack up camp. Once you’re done with that wait for him to show up. There is something I wish to investigate before we set off.“)

(“Understood Tharos.”)

It didn’t take long for Cenric to finish his breakfast, and help pack up camp by the time he was finished Tharos was gone, without a trace. Most likely investigating whatever got his interest.

Figures.” Cenric thought to himself as he headed outside to wait for Rayner. The morning sun was bright, the sky clear and blue. It felt warm and almost pleasant on his skin, a refreshing change from the hellish weather he had endured while marching through his nightmare landscape. The heat was intense, and the sand… well, he didn’t want to get started on the sand.

Luckily for him, he wouldn’t have to wait for long. As he waited outside the cave and directed his gaze towards the horizon, he saw Rayner slowly approaching from over the horizon, maybe a few hundred feet away. Rayner was just as intimidating as ever, even more so now that he was fully armoured and carrying weapons. One of the weapons strapped to his back was a massive double-bladed great axe that was silvery-blue in colour. The axe was shaped like two wolf heads carved from solid ice, with an aura of frost emanating from the blades.

A magic weapon. That would help explain some of the stories about him.” Cenric mused. He had never seen a magic weapon before; such items were rare, and he had heard that possessing one could grant great power to its wielder. He couldn’t help but wonder where Rayner got that axe from as he finished that thought.

He saw Rayner standing right in front of him, his piercing blue eyes staring intensely at him. Cenric felt like he was going to soil himself in fear. Rayner was even scarier up close. As Cenric mustered up the courage to speak, Rayner spoke up. However, unlike before, while his voice was as forceful and furious as ever, however there was a slight softness to it as well. It was as if the rage that was emanating from him had lessened just a tad.

So, you got dragged into this as well.” Cenric looked up at Rayner and slowly nodded.

I didn’t get dragged into this. He saved my life,” Cenric stated in a normal tone of voice, with Rayner giving a loud snort in response.

Well, that milk drinker spared mine, so what is your point, whelp? Speaking of that milk drinker, where is he by the way?” Rayner turned his head from side to side, sniffing the air as he did so.

I don’t know where he is. He said he was looking into something. He didn’t tell me what it was. He only told me to wait for you.” Cenric then saw Rayner’s face start twisting into a small scowl.

And what in all the frozen north could be interesting in this wasteland to that milk drinker?” Rayner spread his arms wide to the side, gesturing all around him to make the point clear. A point that Cenric was all too aware of – that the dead lands were a barren wasteland full of sand, rocks, inhospitable weather, and creatures.

While Cenric didn’t know what could interest Tharos in such a desolate wasteland, he had to consider the possibility that Tharos knew something he didn’t. Before he could speak and convey this to Rayner, he noticed Rayner stop and hold his head for a moment. At that instant, Cenric felt an odd sensation in the back of his head and then heard a voice.

(“Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but it is time for us to head out.”) the voice said.
Cenric turned his head around and saw Tharos standing at the edge of the cave, who was now dusting himself off and wiping off what he amused was fresh blood off his sword. Cenric looked at him with a look of curiosity until Tharos retuned it with a bland looking smile.

(“Sorry for the hold up, but one of the caves here led to an old abandoned mine that I wanted to explore quickly. There wasn’t much there, sadly, aside from the residents living there that tried to eat me.“)

(“Oh, well what happened to them?“) Cenric asked, even though he probably knew the answer. Tharos then tapped on his sword, which was now tied to his belt.

(“I tried to talk my way out of it, but they left me no choice. But that aside, it’s time to move out. Follow me.“) Tharos then started walking off into the distance, gesturing to Cenric and Rayner to follow behind him. As he was about to follow, he saw Rayner turning towards him, about to say something. However, Cenric had a feeling what he was about to say and beat him to the punch.

Yes, yes he does.” Rayner gave a loud snort at that and followed.

However, off in the distance several leagues away, a large group of heavily cloaked figures stood next to a few horses and chariots, watching the three of them from afar. One of these figures then mounted one of the horses, gesturing to the others to join him. The group of cloaked figures quickly followed behind him.

Tharos The Eternal

Tharos The Eternal

Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Artist:
Join the adventures of Tharos Narshar, also known as "The Dark Hawk," a man with mysterious powers and cursed with immortality. He comes from a long-lost civilization that time has nearly forgotten. Follow him and his companions as they journey through the war-torn lands of Aria, confronting evil sorcerers, exploring ancient ruins, and experiencing the various joys and sorrows that life offers. All this as he seeks to regain his mortality or, at the very least, discover meaning and purpose in his cursed existence. Quick Writer's Note: What I post here, in terms of written content, is essentially my first drafts of these stories. Therefore, these chapters are subject to changes or improvements based on feedback I have received from people who are proofreading my work. This is my first attempt at proper writing in terms of story creation, so any feedback is greatly appreciated.

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