Re: The Approaching Storm
Introduction: And Finally I Update!
Sorry I took so long, but the server messed up the last time I tried to update, and I've been gone for a few days. That and I've been lazy. Anyway, here is the next chapter. To make up for the long delay, this chapter is extra long.
Chapter III: Seven Hours After Midnight
The hooded man brandished his two blades, and turned to the dark corners at the back of the bar. He didn't know it yet, but he was looking right at where Kartaikian stood. As he walked back there, he was interrupted by someone holding a bright steel longsword, with a crimson ribbon hanging from its hilt.
Holding it, in a peaceful position, point towards the ground, was the old man. Although he held the blade with skill, he didn't look like much of a threat to anyone in his old age. The hooded man, though, not wanting to harm anyone or be harmed, asked the man to stand down.
The old man refused, saying, "who are you, and what is it you want?"
"I made this clear already, did I not?" the cloaked man said. "I am here in search of someone, who's supposedly just back there," he said, motioning to the back of the room.
The old man turned his head to the back of the room, and then spoke. "I see no one back there, do you?"
"I haven't the time for this, stand down or stand back!" When the old man chose to stand still, the hooded man spoke into the darkness. "I know you're back there, and you know who you are!"
"Why did you follow me here?" was the reply. "What are you after?"
"The world is a dangerous place. When I heard about the fire I went immediately to the town, looking for you. Imagine, though, my surprise when I didn't find you," the man with two swords said. "I thought you were dead, at first. Do you know what the results of the fire were? An entire half of a quarter of the town burned to the ground, burnt to ashes. Twenty-three people, including your grandfather, which I assume you know, died."
Of course, Kartaikian did know that. It was why he'd run off. His grandfather was one of the first people to die, as his house was one of the first to burn. The fire had been started by a flaming arrow, which had hit the thatched roof. One arrow was all it took to burn down an eighth of the town, and twenty-three people. Kartaikian had been outside the house when it had happened, and he rushed in too late.
His grandfather had been closer than his father for his entire life. In fact, his father had been around long enough to name Kartaikian, and then left him with his grandfather. He'd spent all of his 15 years in his father's father's house. His father was almost never at home, and he'd never seen his mother before. Even when his father visited, which wasn't often or for very long, his mother never did. For all Kartaikian knew, his mother could be dead.
His father was not dead, though, and he'd always known that. He showed up at the house randomly at least once every year, for five minutes to a couple hours.
When his grandfather had died, Kartaikian was left without any real family, and a burning contempt for whoever had started the fire. At first he thought about seeking vengeance, but he didn't have a clue who'd done it. So instead, he just left, and now here he was. He hadn't been gone for more than three days and from nowhere his father shows up looking for him?
"What's your point? Why are you here?" Kartaikian asked.
"I'm your father, don't you think I care?" the hooded man asked.
"Care? Is that why you left me alone for 15 years? Please, father, elaborate."
"I couldn't stay with you, but I still care for you. It's far too complicated to explain to you why. I still have helped you though. Where do you think all that money you have came from?"
"Why are you here? Answer my question already."
"I told you, the world is a dangerous place. It's not a good idea for you to run off into wilderness. You may think you are ready, and you may think you're prepared, but no one ever is. Just go home, mourn with your fellow townsmen. Get over it, and get on with life. Don't just waste it all." the cloaked man, Kartaikian's father, said.
"You don't understand, you know that right? You know nothing about me, truly." Kartaikian needed to create a diversion, so he could get away. He fired an arrow at his father's feet, distracting him, and then ran past him. He pushed his father over in order to slow him down, and as Kartaikian exited the bar, his father fell into the old man's table.
Kartaikian whistled, and Stormrider came to his side. He mounted the horse and guided it to the main gate. It seemed much more willing to listen today, and ran to the only way out of Nylahre. It was raining now, hard and fast. Lightning lit up the skies, and thunder filled the air. The sky was completely overcast with pitch black clouds.
And yet, it was only around seven hours after midnight.
As Kartaikian rode Stormrider through the wind and rain, he heard the sound of a horse following. At first fearing that it would be his father again, he tried to speed Stormrider up, but although he was clearly strong enough and fit enough, the horse didn't want to go any faster.
Soon, someone riding a white horse pulled up beside him. He knew his father's horse was black, so it wasn't him. In fact, he was surprised to see that it was the old man from the inn. Kartaikian slowed the horse down a little. Or at least, tried to. In doing so, the horse decided to stop moving altogether, causing the other horse to speed by. The old man guided the white horse in a sharp turn back to Kartaikian.
"Why are you following me? Who are you?" Kartaikian shouted over the rain, wind, and thunder.
"My name is Aydriak. I assume you'll need some kind of shelter for this storm, and a place to hide from your father, right?" the old man said.
"I need neither, but what are you offering?" Kartaikian asked.
"Follow me!" Aydriak said. He led him to a small outpost of buildings a few miles away from Nylahre. There was about five small buildings, surrounded by three small towers. In the middle of the outpost was what appeared to be a trapdoor, leading down into the ground and shut to keep out the rain.
Next to the largest of the small buildings was a small stable, where they put their horses. The old man, as Kartaikian could now see, was dressed in a red cloak to keep out the rain and wind, and had his sword strapped to his belt, but lacking a scabbard.
He also had a wooden staff, to aid him in walking. "Old age...not fun," Aydriak said. He led Kartaikian into the small building to the left of the largest of the buildings. Inside was a desk, littered with papers, three bookcases lining three of the walls, so full that many books were stacked on top of them, and a small bed. Scrolls were piled in pyramidal stacks around the room, in random places on the floor.
"What is this?" Kartaikian asked, as he looked around the literature crowded room.
"It's a bit of a story, but surly one worth telling. You see, I was once an adventurer. I would travel the world just because I could, and oftentimes I would return with more than I left with. Obviously, I'm far to old for that now. However, I didn't want all the information I'd learned about the world in my time to be lost forever. So I began to write much of it down. I gathered a small band of people who wished to become adventurers like myself, and I told them what I knew, and sent them off to travel.
"The books on that shelf," he pointed to the one on the far wall, "are written by myself. All the others are simply books written by other people that I've collected. A lot of the scrolls are mine as well. This small outpost was built for my small band of adventurers, because all this stuff just wouldn't all fit in my house. I have another building devoted simply as a library, one to hold the many artifacts we've collected, and another for supplies. It also wasn't very safe, as much of this is valuable, hence the watchtowers.
"Anyway, you seem like the kind of person in search of a good adventure. Now, I'm not sure you'd really like to join my little group here, but for now you can stay with me. This room is open for you to sleep in, as no one normally uses this bed. It's here for when I spend long nights up writing in my books."
Kartaikian listened to his story with interest. "Well, thank you for your hospitality. I think though that I'll be leaving in the morning."
The old man nodded his head, and then left the room. Kartaikian went to bed.
Notes: Familial Relations and Spontaneous Creations
In this chapter, we meet Kartaikian's father. Or rather, we met him in the last chapter, but now know who he is. Kartaikain's father is important to the story, and will likely appear again. Likely. Technically, I don't know exactly what will happen, as I write these stories spontaneously. Seriously. I make up everything I write right on the spot, and haven't the slightest idea what will happen until I write it. So, stay tuned as we find out together what happens to Kartaikian Stormcloud!