Ranger in Gavara

Chapter III

It's been three days, I spent most of my time hunting, practicing with the bow, and building on my cabin. I wake up, still in my tent because my cabin is not finished. I fold my tent and place it in my quiver, which served as it's case. I begin my walk back towards the village, hoping that the master craftsman had finished my cloak and boots.

I arrive in the middle of the day, the most busy time in the village. Stands are swarmed with eager customers, and I stand in line waiting behind a crowd of people. The stand that I stood at is especially bad, even a couple of fights have broke out. A dog man and a cat man roll around in the dirt beside me, fighting with gnashing teeth. The crowd thins out, but it has been hours of boring. I stand for so long, my legs begin to waver.

As soon as my fortitude begins to waver, the last person in front of me leaves the stand. I walk to the merchant and ask about my cloak and boots.

"Yeah they are right here." The merchant says, opening a chest inside of his stand. A few seconds later, the merchant hands me a green cloak that had scales on the outside for protection, and fur on the inside for warmth. The boots were the same way, and they got me perfectly as well as the cloak.

Happily, I go to Gonnovir and give him the game I bagged ahead of time, just in case it would take a while to get my equipment. I had already skinned the animals, so I got a small bonus from Gonnovir. As I leave the inn, I have a sudden thought: This is an entirely different world, surely this village is not all there is to it.

My heart begins to yearn for an adventure, but I decide that it should wait a while. This world is dangerous, so I decide that it need to wait for a while. I head back to my cabin in the forest. It is coming along nicely, it isn't anywhere near done though. The walls aren't finished, and I need to put a door and a roof on it.

I set up my tent and sleep for the night, wondering what will become of me in this new land. I wake in the morning and easily bag a rabbit for the inn. The rabbit had been right outside, and I always kept my bow near at hand. As I head back towards the village, I see a pillar of smoke. I find it strange because the village buildings don't have chimneys. Maybe there is a bonfire today? As I approach the gate, a guard runs to me in a panic.

"Don't enter the village of you value your life." He says, "Bandits are raiding the village for gold, but they are ruthless and they murder the townspeople." The guard is close to hysterics and runs for his life in no particular direction.

Despite the warning, I enter the village. People-creatures flee in every direction, and large columns of flames arise from homes and city walls. A large mass of people run past me and flee out of the village gate. I stand, too shocked to move as I see Gonnovir crawling towards me about 10 feet away. I run to him and grab him in my arms. He has a noticeable stab wound in his right lung and is bleeding profusely.

"Me boy," he says through labored breaths, "go to Eppi. It is 20 miles North of here, through the very forest that you have been living in."

I try to hold the blood back, but a thick pool begins to surround me.

"Gonnovir," I say, not sure what to do. "what can I do?"

Gonnovir never answered as his eyes glaze over, signaling that he was gone. I set him down and cry. Not because I was very fond of Gonnovir, but he was, at the very least, a good man. He deserved better. I stand as a hot fire burns inside of me, a rage I have never felt before.

Boldly, I walk forward as a large group of bandits appear before me. One bandit, I assume is the leader, holds a large staff in his left hand. Like me he wore a cloak, but his was solid black and shrouded his face.