The Morningstar

Chapter 8

Evaline walked out of her room adjusting her armour "morning inn keep"

He smiled at her "breakfast is on the house m'lady"

She sat down at the table in the corner "thank you" she smiled back

Shaxx was sat still in the chair with his sword adorned across his lap still. Evaline looked at him as she heard his deep breathes which while ragged seemed calm.

"M'lady" the inn keeps daughter placed a plate of chicken and bread in front of evaline and then looked over at shaxx "what does he look like under that helm?"

Evaline began to eat and looked up at the inn keeps daughter "he's a man nothing special other than his one purple eye and his left eye a pure white due to a injury that I don't know how he got"

The inn keeps daughter smiles and played with her pendant "he's feared among the traitor elves yet he seems so kind"

Evaline smiled "I've heard the story's and read the texts"

"Sorry I'll let you be m'lady" she began to walk off

"I am feared because I was foolish in the war" shaxx turned his head "the landing of serpentine bay was my idea it's what eradicated the traitors and damn near ended the third company" he stood up and sheathed his sword "eat I'll be back soon"

"Ok shaxx" she ate her food and watched shaxx walk out the tavern

Shaxx walked to a small frozen lake behind the border town and took his helm off with snow falling on his ragged black hair "making me out to be a fucking hero" he sat on his helmet and pulled down his chainmail coif

"My son, my warrior" a ghostly voice whispered

"You're dead how the fuck are you here" he stood up and looked across the lake to see an apparition of a woman floating eerily and She was dressed in a long red dress

"You are a disgrace to our family name" the apparition spoke

"Mother, the family is dead I'm the last Morningstar even with Zoe alive I'm the true heir to our family name so hold your tongue or so help me death I'll banish you" he placed his hand on the handle of his sword

The spirit of his mother laughed which sent shivers down shaxxs spine and the she just vanished without a trace

"Fucking ghosts Damn things should be hunted" the inn keep had followed shaxx

Shaxx quickly Drew his sword and pointed it to the inn keeps throat in a reaction to his fear "my apologies" he sheathed his blade and sat down on his helm again

The inn keep laughed a little "it's ok m'lord, I see my wife every so often in the middle of the lake" he sat down next to shaxx and tighten his heavy woollen coat around him "m'lord can I ask a question?"

"You may" shaxx drew his dagger and pulled a small whetstone from his pouch

"This jatau where will he take us?" the inn keep looked at shaxx sharpening his dagger

"Where ever you wish to go" he kept sharpening his dagger "so long as you bare my platinum coin jatau will take you north if you ask him all the way to the lands of assassins and honour" he laughed a little "assuming the traders speak the truth"

The inn keep chuckled "well they did bring back that Katana I think they called it so I believe it exists but no I would like to raise my daughter back in our home of eyasluna it's been to long since I've seen the mystical trees and the bronze hoplite" his smile and laugh faded

Shaxx sheathed his knife "and you will see them again jatau will get you there and give you a sizeable amount of gold to buy some land"

"Thank you m'lord" he stood up "well me and my daughter will be leaving now I have packed some provisions for you in the tavern" he walked off towards the stables

Evaline walked to shaxx carrying the provisions the inn keep had packed for them "shaxx are you ok?"

Shaxx nodded "anything you need to do before we leave" he stood up and put his scorched helmet on

"Well the stable boy keeps looking at me and I don't like it so nope we can leave now" she smiled at shaxx and began walking to the stables

Shaxx followed her and watched as the inn keep and his daughter rode west ward towards serpentine bay

"Shaxx can I have a hand please" she stood next to sky

"Let me help you m'lady" the stable boy was young no older than sixteen he was freshly shaven and had long curly hair

Shaxx grasped the stable boys head and smashed it against the stone walls of the stables causing it to shatter causing blood and brains to paint the wall.

"SHAXX WHAT IN THE ONES NAME WAS THAT FOR" evaline jumped back and placed her right hand on the hilt of her sword

Shaxx knelt down and pulled a note from the stable boys pocket "relax death guided my hand" he opened the note whilst standing up then handed it to evaline

She took the note cautiously and read it out loud "one thousand gold bounty on the knight and maid blah blah blah wanted dead not alive" she dropped the note

"I am sorry evaline perhaps you coming with me was not the best thing you could have done" he looked at her

"I want him dead" her gaze went cold and she clenched her fists "he is pure scum that would be king all because his dad is dead so help me death I will kill him"

Shaxx nodded "then we have a goal"

Evaline climbed onto skys back by herself and grabbed the reigns "let's go to your allies we are gonna need them"