The summer sun hung high above the lush valley floor, a giant disk in the clear blue sky. The high noon sun permeated a sweltering heat throughout the entire valley. With little shade, most creatures were in a constant state of discomfort and lethargy. Large, snow barren peaks stretched out to the North, becoming faded in the distance. To the South were more mountains, although in not as grand a scale as their northern brethren.
A gentle, soothing breeze swept down from the northern mountains into the valley, providing any living creatures with the only relief from the heat. Miles of tall, bright, yellow summer grass and wheat swayed in the wind, stretching out on both sides of the crude cobblestone road that snaked along the valley floor.
In the scorched distance, a lone figure soldiered on through the heat.
"Sssssssooooooooooooo, hoooooooooot..."
Sevan clanked along, feeling the humid summer heat through his heavy metal armor. The young Bangaa had grown up in sweltering heat, but the heat he was used to was much dryer. This heat however...
This heat is so...so heavy...and sticky...
His feet shuffling along, Sevan sighed in complaint. He felt the hot cobblestone against his bare feet; Each step across the cobblestone road felt like it sapped a bit more of his strength. Ever since entering the valley late last night, he had been in a constant state of discomfort. On top of that, his supply of alcohol had run dry, leaving his unaltered mind to take in every heat induced pang.
"Huh..huh...huh..."
More short, labored breaths. Even such a minor action felt very taxiing. Sevan had resided to slump forward, staring down at the road before him, the weight of his Ordynka-Khegart dragging his right arm down as it hung lazily by his side. Even his tail had begun to droop in fatigue.
"Aaaaahh..."
Sevan stopped, crouching as he recuperated for a brief moment. He wiped his forehead, feeling a layer of sweat. After another deep breath, he looked up at the sky directly above him.
Stupid heat...
Sevan lowered his gaze, and looked ahead into the distance. He noticed a row of buildings in the distance, and, slowly rising, felt a surge of renewal as a breeze blew past.
I can't keep this pace up forever. Maybe I should take a rest in town. Traveling at night would be better than this heat.
Standing back up, he rolled his shoulders, and continued on his way towards the town, a briskness in his pace.
The first thing that Sevan noticed on his way into town was the smell. At first, he dismissed it, but as he drew closer, the stench grew too large to ignore; the air reeked it.
Smells like...burnt wood?
After a few minutes of walking, some farm houses came into view. A few were perfectly normal, but some houses had been burned to the ground, or at least scorched. And the large tracts of wheat fields had burn spots at random intervals. Sevan looked around for any traces of the villages inhabitants, but found only carts in disrepair, a few animals, and boarded up houses.
"Huh?"
Sevan looked ahead, seeing the cobble road continue into the main hub of the village. He could of sworn seeing someone move inside the village square. As he neared the square, he passed one and two story wooden buildings, each with a sign of fire damage. With the damage in plain view, Sevan tried looking for any townsfolk, but only his voice and the clank of his armor echoed back. Raising his left hand to his mouth, he exclaimed:
"Hey! Anybody here?"
Sevan looked around. No one appeared.
"Hello? Is anyone still here?"
Nothing so much as stirred.
Talk about a warm welcome.
Sevan continued his repeated attempts till he arrived in the square. Towards the North, a large hall-like structure, which Sevan guessed was the village meeting hall, stood heavily damaged. The roof was gone, and a few pieces of wood still smoldered. Around the square were what remained of a few vendors and shops, but the thing that interested Sevan the most was the almost untouched nature of the inn that lay to the West at the opposite end of the square.
Well, at least the inn's OK. Hopefully they still have drinks.
Sevan walked up to the inn door, and knocked loudly, his armor clanking loudly as it came into contact with the wood.
"Hey, is there anyone inside?!"
A rustling sound came from behind the door, as did the sound of hushing. Slowly, the door opened, and an older man of about 50 or so peaked his head out the crack.
His hair and beard was a graying white, with the exception of several spots of black. His eyes were a deep blue, and he wore a pair of brass rimmed glasses. His eyes should signs of fear and distress.
Looking around outside with alertness, he then looked up at Sevan.
"What do you want here, Bangaa?"
The man's voice was shaky and sore.
"I need a place to rest."
"Can't you see that we aren't in the mood for company? We've got enough problems to deal with."
Sevan shifted on his feet. He looked for a moment in frustration before turning back to face the old man.
"Tch...like what?"
Sevan's voice reeked of sarcasm. The man's eyes grew wide with disbelief, before an uncomfortable laugh freed itself from his lips. After he finished his little spasm of despair, his face turned to a more solemn look.
"A dragon."
Sevan's voice remained uniterested.
"Oh? Is that so."
The man's face grew into a contorted fit.
"You think this is some kind of joke?! Look around you. You think a few kids with fire did all that? We lost a quarter of our town in the attacks! This village was ablaze just a few days ago! And you think you can just waltz in and speak with such a tone. I, Ezekiel Thorson, the mayor of this village, will not be insulted in such a manner; no sir! So, unless you're planning on slaying that dragon, I suggest you leave before the rest of the village forces you to leave!"
The man's eyes burned with anger.
Sevan paced a bit on the front steps of the inn, his armor jangling. Sevan bobbed his head, then turned back to the old man, a slight grin on his face.
"Alright, considered me hired."
The man's eyes showed confusion. He shook his head and wetted his dry lips.
"I-I'm sorry?"
"You said you needed someone to slay the dragon, right?"
The man shook his head slightly. Sevan rolled his head.
"Thankfully for you, I'm a hired lance. Now, about the inn..."
A gentle, soothing breeze swept down from the northern mountains into the valley, providing any living creatures with the only relief from the heat. Miles of tall, bright, yellow summer grass and wheat swayed in the wind, stretching out on both sides of the crude cobblestone road that snaked along the valley floor.
In the scorched distance, a lone figure soldiered on through the heat.
"Sssssssooooooooooooo, hoooooooooot..."
Sevan clanked along, feeling the humid summer heat through his heavy metal armor. The young Bangaa had grown up in sweltering heat, but the heat he was used to was much dryer. This heat however...
This heat is so...so heavy...and sticky...
His feet shuffling along, Sevan sighed in complaint. He felt the hot cobblestone against his bare feet; Each step across the cobblestone road felt like it sapped a bit more of his strength. Ever since entering the valley late last night, he had been in a constant state of discomfort. On top of that, his supply of alcohol had run dry, leaving his unaltered mind to take in every heat induced pang.
"Huh..huh...huh..."
More short, labored breaths. Even such a minor action felt very taxiing. Sevan had resided to slump forward, staring down at the road before him, the weight of his Ordynka-Khegart dragging his right arm down as it hung lazily by his side. Even his tail had begun to droop in fatigue.
"Aaaaahh..."
Sevan stopped, crouching as he recuperated for a brief moment. He wiped his forehead, feeling a layer of sweat. After another deep breath, he looked up at the sky directly above him.
Stupid heat...
Sevan lowered his gaze, and looked ahead into the distance. He noticed a row of buildings in the distance, and, slowly rising, felt a surge of renewal as a breeze blew past.
I can't keep this pace up forever. Maybe I should take a rest in town. Traveling at night would be better than this heat.
Standing back up, he rolled his shoulders, and continued on his way towards the town, a briskness in his pace.
The first thing that Sevan noticed on his way into town was the smell. At first, he dismissed it, but as he drew closer, the stench grew too large to ignore; the air reeked it.
Smells like...burnt wood?
After a few minutes of walking, some farm houses came into view. A few were perfectly normal, but some houses had been burned to the ground, or at least scorched. And the large tracts of wheat fields had burn spots at random intervals. Sevan looked around for any traces of the villages inhabitants, but found only carts in disrepair, a few animals, and boarded up houses.
"Huh?"
Sevan looked ahead, seeing the cobble road continue into the main hub of the village. He could of sworn seeing someone move inside the village square. As he neared the square, he passed one and two story wooden buildings, each with a sign of fire damage. With the damage in plain view, Sevan tried looking for any townsfolk, but only his voice and the clank of his armor echoed back. Raising his left hand to his mouth, he exclaimed:
"Hey! Anybody here?"
Sevan looked around. No one appeared.
"Hello? Is anyone still here?"
Nothing so much as stirred.
Talk about a warm welcome.
Sevan continued his repeated attempts till he arrived in the square. Towards the North, a large hall-like structure, which Sevan guessed was the village meeting hall, stood heavily damaged. The roof was gone, and a few pieces of wood still smoldered. Around the square were what remained of a few vendors and shops, but the thing that interested Sevan the most was the almost untouched nature of the inn that lay to the West at the opposite end of the square.
Well, at least the inn's OK. Hopefully they still have drinks.
Sevan walked up to the inn door, and knocked loudly, his armor clanking loudly as it came into contact with the wood.
"Hey, is there anyone inside?!"
A rustling sound came from behind the door, as did the sound of hushing. Slowly, the door opened, and an older man of about 50 or so peaked his head out the crack.
His hair and beard was a graying white, with the exception of several spots of black. His eyes were a deep blue, and he wore a pair of brass rimmed glasses. His eyes should signs of fear and distress.
Looking around outside with alertness, he then looked up at Sevan.
"What do you want here, Bangaa?"
The man's voice was shaky and sore.
"I need a place to rest."
"Can't you see that we aren't in the mood for company? We've got enough problems to deal with."
Sevan shifted on his feet. He looked for a moment in frustration before turning back to face the old man.
"Tch...like what?"
Sevan's voice reeked of sarcasm. The man's eyes grew wide with disbelief, before an uncomfortable laugh freed itself from his lips. After he finished his little spasm of despair, his face turned to a more solemn look.
"A dragon."
Sevan's voice remained uniterested.
"Oh? Is that so."
The man's face grew into a contorted fit.
"You think this is some kind of joke?! Look around you. You think a few kids with fire did all that? We lost a quarter of our town in the attacks! This village was ablaze just a few days ago! And you think you can just waltz in and speak with such a tone. I, Ezekiel Thorson, the mayor of this village, will not be insulted in such a manner; no sir! So, unless you're planning on slaying that dragon, I suggest you leave before the rest of the village forces you to leave!"
The man's eyes burned with anger.
Sevan paced a bit on the front steps of the inn, his armor jangling. Sevan bobbed his head, then turned back to the old man, a slight grin on his face.
"Alright, considered me hired."
The man's eyes showed confusion. He shook his head and wetted his dry lips.
"I-I'm sorry?"
"You said you needed someone to slay the dragon, right?"
The man shook his head slightly. Sevan rolled his head.
"Thankfully for you, I'm a hired lance. Now, about the inn..."
