Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 12, 2021 14:40:38 GMT
Dayne was trapped in darkness for what seemed like ages, his mind reliving the horrible feeling of the cold steel piercing the man's chest. The face looking back at him as it slumped to the ground lifelessly. His mind was clouded, his senses dulled, the world around him shrouded in a void that he didn't properly paid heed to. Suddenly a giant hand was placed on his shoulder, warm and calming, something that pulled Danye from the darkness, if only for that second. The child's eyes met his mentor's, shaking and showing the weeping soul on the inside. Simeon began to speak, trying to entail the importance of moving. He's right, more can be coming. Why do you think they left the cart? Must've been getting help. The voice whispered in Dayne's ear and shook him once more to his core. A spine chilling tingle raced up his back and caused the hairs on his neck to stand. Without another word Dayne rushed forward. His mind racing as he began to grab sticks, spare wooden rods, and nails that he could scavenge together in order to repair the wheel. There was only two broken spokes that needed to be completely changed out, while the other's could easily just be fortified. Dayne worked with a purpose, in silence the entire time, and eventually the cart was prepared once more for the travel back to Triboar. He gathered up everything he could, the shields, the weapon, and ore that was spilled out, and much like the items he threw into the back of the cart- he threw his own body in as well. Utter exhaustion, physically, mentally, and emotionally, caused the child to just lay there still like a calm pound. The clear blue skies above showed no signs of the darkness that loomed over Danye. Rolls Survival: 13
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 12, 2021 14:45:02 GMT
Simeon watched in quiet concern as Dayne went about fixing the cart. His motions were exact, calculated, and dead of emotion. As he threw himself in the back of the cart, Simeon felt a pang of guilt. He had brought the boy here, had pressured him into taking part in the slaughter. And now, he was paying the price. With a grimace, Simeon wiped his blade clean of blood. It didn’t sparkle anymore, but he could deal with just removing the gore for now. It slid back into his scabbard without a sound, and he headed over to the cart. ”You did well today, Dayne,” he said as he started to push the cart. ”I’m proud of you.”
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 12, 2021 14:49:13 GMT
A ray of light in the darkness that blanketed the child, Simeon's acknowledgement. Dayne smiled, whimpered, shuttered, and wailed all at once. A retching sound of a rush of emotions that were just too much for the child to process at once. Dayne's pride tried to hide it, but his heart was too heavy to allow such blasphemous actions to happen. The depressed state of Dayne would hopefully come and pass, but for the time he remained silent in the back of the cart, trying to process that which could not be. Rolls None
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 12, 2021 15:03:49 GMT
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 12, 2021 15:35:05 GMT
Muscles sore, back aching, and his mind drained, Simeon slowly pulled into Triboar. Dayne hadn’t said more than three words on the journey back, even though Simeon had tried to coax him from his state. The boy was broken, it seemed - but even broken things could be fixed. Simeon gratefully nodded to the guards as they came over to help with the cart, his eyes moving slowly over to the one who spoke to Dayne. Perhaps knowledge of the good that his actions had caused would settle his unruly soul. As they approached the forge, Simeon let go of the cart. Blisters on his hands ached for attention, but he instead turned his eyes to the forgemaster. ”Food and drink would be welcome, forgemaster,” he said, placing a hand on Dayne’s shoulder. ”The journey was not an easy one. Will you see to it that our gear is repaired? I wouldn’t want to risk anything happening on the path to Neverwinter.”Following the nod from Ghelryn, Simeon once again started to move the cart round to the back of the forge. There was a wide open outside area, dotted with various tables and stools. Two plates and two flagons of ale were placed on one of them by a small female servant, who flashed Dayne with a fluttering eye. Simeon paid her no heed, moving and sitting in his seat before closing his eyes. A moment later he opened them again, picking up his flagon and locking Dayne with a stern eye. ”I’d like to say it got easier, but I won’t lie to you. No matter the reason, a life was taken tday - and that’s not easy for anybody to handle. But think instead of the good that it has caused, and not just in returning the forgemaster’s equipment. Bandits are a scourge on the road, and no doubt they would have killed and pillaged others if we had not stopped them. You are a hero, Dayne - you are a good man.”
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 15, 2021 13:31:41 GMT
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 15, 2021 13:40:05 GMT
His heart was heavy, his eyelids heavier and darkened with sorrow, as he sat down beside the paladin. His surrounds were dull, as if washed over with a blanket of gray, no longer seeing the vibrancy of life itself, only the morbid darkness that could strike at any moment; death. Warm stew and sweet mead found its way to the table, their inviting scents lingering into the nose of the child as his eyes slowly lifted from the ground. The flagon called to him, "drink me and forget your pains and woes child!" He could almost hear it saying those exact words, but he knew that it would only make him feel worse. It was the lack of control that put him into the position that he was in, in the first place. Simeon began to speak, his voice soft and caring but his words still were heavy with the weight of the situation. He was right in a way, the loss of a life was not something that Dayne was prepared to handle, even after all their training. Yet his outlook gave insight to a wisdom Dayne was keen to listen to. " A hero?" Dayne said in almost a whisper. " Eh, that is a good joke, I froze up, you are the hero." He continued with a sour expression growing over his face. His eyes lifted as he placed the spoon into his mouth, the warmth of the stew filling his body with heat on a cold day. As he did he could see the young woman, her eyes still flashing him that look of infatuation. " Why do women like the idea of 'heroes', they do understand they only thing they love is a murderer, right?" Dayne asked, his eyes sagging like a hound as he looked at Simeon. " That's all I am now, right?" Tears gathered but did not fall, his heart was poured like the mead into their glasses. Rolls None
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 17, 2021 10:38:16 GMT
Simeon nodded in thanks to the forgemaster before starting to eat. Before he could place even the first morsel in his mouth however, Dayne began to speak. His words were laced with anger, with a strange self-loathing that Simeon had rarely seen before. He lowered his spoon slowly, moving his eyes to the young boy. ”Without you there today, I would not be here.Heroes are not always the ones who swing the sword, or the ones who claim the most lives. If you had not frozen up then something would have been wrong - you’re still a boy, Dayne, and the things you saw that day were real, they were shocking.”As he spoke of the serving woman in his same glum tone, Simeon rolled his eyes. ”What is a hero, then? Can a person not decide for themselves who they can give such a lofty title to? Last I checked, there was no ‘Guild of Heroes’ that demanded membership in order to be named such. In her eyes, you are a hero - together we saved the livelihood of the forgemaster, and saw fit that the road was safe to travel again. One thing you are not, Dayne, is a murderer. Murderers kill in cold blood, kill without reason - what you served today was justice.”For a moment several scriptures danced through his mind, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak them. He didn’t know if they would help Dayne or not, but Simeon didn’t feel like they were right for him anymore. Perhaps his worship of Milil was not meant to be through traditional means...
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 19, 2021 17:32:53 GMT
" Justice?" Dayne repeated, his eyes locking on the broth of the food. " Well, guess there is solace in some of your words." Dayne's way of speaking changed, if ever so slightly, it was his tone, his attitude, and the way the sentence flowed. It was as if speaking to a defeated man, replies filled with sorrow to the point where it was visibly written over his face. In a way he looked older, hardened, and his eyes no longer glistened the way they had before. " I am glad you are still here, Simeon." Dayne said taking a bite of his food, " I don't know what I would have done if you didn't make it out alive, I wish I had your strength and devotion." He looked up to his mentor and gave a halfhearted smile, his eyes squinting slightly to hide what sorrow he tried to push deep under the surface. Turning back to his meal he began to eat, desiring no longer to speak of the events, and only steeling his mind for what was to come. " I want to be a hero... One worthy of the title." He said randomly in the middle of the meal after a period of silence. His mind was made up and although he wasn't completely over the events, he was prepared and determined just as he was with learning swordsmanship. Rolls None
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 19, 2021 17:43:31 GMT
Although the boy was keen to move away from the subject, Simeon could tell that he still dwelled on his actions. Simeon couldn’t find himself to worry too much, however - it would have been Dayne not dwelling on the killing he had participated in that would have worried him. This reaction was a normal one, even if it wrenched at Simeon’s stomach to see his companion feeling such. They ate in silence for several seconds, Simeon’s mind moving to the road ahead. It was still a long way to Neverwinter, but now at least they would be prepared - and, if they did have to defend themselves on the road, it should be easier on the pair. ”The only way you can do that is through actions - nobody can name you a hero, you must prove yourself. And no doubt death will be on your hands again - being a hero is never clean, nor is it easy. But if you keep up that swordsmanship, I have no doubt that you will succeed in your goals.”As they finished their meals, the waitress came back and took away their plates and empty flagons, again flashing a red-faced glance towards Dayne. ”Maybe you’ll come back here one day - the people certainly seem to like you well enough,” he said, winking at the boy. A few seconds later they stood up, ready to continue their long journey to Neverwinter.
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 22, 2021 14:00:24 GMT
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 22, 2021 14:09:18 GMT
It took a few days, but Dayne had come back into his former self as the pair left Triboar. They reached their path, a long-cut more than a shortcut, and set up camp for the night as the sun slowly started to set. This was a path that was best not travelled in the dark of night - in fact, it was probably a path best not travelled at all. But Simeon had no choice - with the cart, he had to take this path or charter a ship to Neverwinter. Neither of those were appealing, since it would cost more than the contents of the cart were worth to send them by sea and leaving them behind was not an option. The next morning, their camp broken and re-packed onto the back of the cart, Simeon placed a hand on Dayne’s shoulder. ”This won’t be an easy road, Dayne. There are animals along this path that fear no man, so keep your sword close and your eyes open. Hopefully we will pass through without commotion…”He left his very real concerns that that would not be the case unspoken, instead placing a hand on the mule that had brought the cart this far. Riding on the cart would be too dangerous - if they were attacked, he needed to be ready to fight back anybody who might endanger them or their cargo. With a nod to the boy, the cart began to move into the forest.
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 22, 2021 14:37:14 GMT
As the warm morning sun broke over the distant horizon and warm oranges and reds danced through the skies, Dayne began to break down their camp. He was used to his job when it came to traveling with Simeon. More than not, Dayne acted as a squire of sorts, fetching food, necessary items, and even equipment when needed. Sand was pushed over the final embers of the warm coals, armor was neatly fitted upon his body, and he was in the final steps of lacing the leather as Simeon approached. Words of warning left his lips, words that brought Dayne back to the time where his sword had the first taste of flesh for the first time. A thick glob of spit struggled down his throat as he gulped, part of him was still afraid. " Aye, I know." He replied, his eyes moving back to the final part of the lace. He could feel his hand shaking, but he began to breathe. slower and slower, until finally he was able to stop the anxiety. " We should get goin' then, long road?" He said, throwing the last of the gear inside the cart. Along with the gear Dayne jumped into the back of the cart, his eyes peeled for anything suspicious and ready to alert Simeon at the first sign of movement. Rolls None
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 22, 2021 15:12:29 GMT
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 22, 2021 15:23:10 GMT
The heavens opened, but a blessing of Milil did not come down. Instead a torrential rainpour began, and instantly they were soaked to the skin. A slight grumble escaped Simeon’s lips as he pulled the mule to a halt, tapping Dayne on the shoulder to wake him from his rest. ”We’re not going to get far in this. Go look for some sticks and the like, to lay in front of the wheels as we move. Hopefully it will stop the worst of the mud from keeping us stuck.”As the boy moved off, Simeon started to work through the equipment in the back of the wagon. He pulled the morningstar that he had received from the forgemaster and strapped it to his belt, before picking up a sack of miscellaneous belongings and slinging it over his shoulder.
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