The Morningstar

Chapter 16

"Oi Tom what's our reward for the bloody artefact?" Ryan questioned?

Tom was a slender man clad in chain mail and a steel cuirass where as Ryan was a shorter but stockier man.

"Uhhh two thousand imperial coins I believe" Tom was sat down around the campfire as the last gentle snow of winter fell.

Ryan was stood up pissing against a tree "and what is this artefact again?"

A man clad in full plate armour walked out of the small wood only a few meters away from the fire "do you not pay attention Ryan? Our prize is an old crown" the man walked over to fire and sat down on a log.

"Oh lord ragum how was the scouting?" Tom looked at his master.

Ragum took his rounded great helmet off and sighed "nothing much to report truth be told however that gypsy camp was burning when I rode by".

Ryan joined his master and brother around the fire "and that's not an issue m'lord?"

"Nope but Tomorrow we ride for that tomb and find that crown" ragum smiles at his employees well he classed them as employees but really Tom and Ryan owed him a life debt.

Tom and Ryan laid down next to the fire getting as comfortable as they could in their hide sleeping bags.

"Lord ragum could you tell off us the mines of trandor again?, I love listening to the tale" Ryan spoke softly as he was starting to feel tired.

Ragum smiled "off course friend, long ago before the age of malgus six hundred years ago, there was an old race, the trandorians the true masters of this earth" ragum went on about the tale of old trandor and the mines of trandor all through the night even after his employees had drifted off into a deep slumber.

Tom was awoken by the early morning light and the chirping of the spring birds "morning all" he sat up and stretched while yawning.

"Morning brother" Ryan was already awake and preparing breakfast for him and his brother "did you see ragum slink off in the night?"

"No but he'll be with us when we get to the tomb" Tom helped himself to some of the soup Ryan had prepared.

Ryan drew his axe from its hoop on his belt and began to sharpen it "make sure you sharpen your sword before we leave because only The One knows what could be in that accursed tomb"

Tom finished his soup and burped "fine" he drew his arming sword and began to sharpen it with a whetstone "do you reckon the mines of trandor exist?"

"The mines of trandor are just a myth brother, there is no way that you can travel through time itself and walk five minutes in the mines then find a door that will transport you to the imperial continent or hell even asstenia" Ryan laughed at his brothers foolish ambitions and vast imagination "let it rest if they did exist they are gone now"

Tom looked disappointed and started to put his steel cuirass back on after taking it off for the night "I just wish we could do more than just scrape by on rations and loose change"

"I know brother" Ryan put his steel cuirass on as well "well let's make haste"

The two brothers walked into the woods and mounted their noble steeds and rode to the northern border of norsia, to the north it was believed the natives lived there and they weren't particularly kind to any imperial that would dare set foot on their land.

They rode for a day and finally they reached their destination, the tomb of Azreal the second, two enormous stone statues of republic era knights stood guard next to the main entrance, moss and vines covered their visages and weapons making it impossible to see if those knights were centurions or early forms of paladins.

"Woah" Tom looked in amazement at the desolate ruins, he and his brother had only heard tales of such magnificent structures, "brother there may be more than just a crown in here"

"Aye brother you may be right" Ryan smirked and dismounted his horse.

Tom dismounted his horse and followed his brother who was approaching the entrance of the tomb but that was they noticed a mare with skin as pale as the northern snows.

"Hold" Ryan drew his axe and suddenly the grand entrance of the tomb opened.

There In the entrance stood a man clad in steel plate armour, a longsword tied to his belt and an arming sword on same belt but opposite side, he stood there in the spring wind making his black cloak flail in the wind.

"RAGUM" Tom called out "Is it you?"

The armoured man walked closer to the two brothers and drew his longsword.

"Oh fuck" Tom drew his arming sword and stood next to his brother. "Are you ok Ryan?"

Ryan dropped his axe "no....not you.....it can't be...." He fell to his knees and began to pray.

"Ryan get the fuck up now" Tom stood infront of his brother "BACK UP NOW OR SO HELP ME THE ONE I'LL KILL YOU"

The armoured man stopped in his tracks merely twelve foot infront of Tom.

"Tom....yield now I beg of you" Ryan was grasping at Toms leg.

Tom shook his brothers arm of him "I'll deal with this" he charged the armoured man sword raised and screaming hoping to shatter his opponents morale.

Ryan watched his brothers attempt at stopping their attacker, but it was futile, the armoured man parried toms strike then In three quick and precise moves cut toms arms and lower jaw off.

Ryan screamed as his brothers bloodied corpse fell to its knees and then face forward in a pool of its own blood. "I'll kill you demon" Ryan stood up in tears and charged the killer as his brother had done.

And just like his brother Ryan failed, the armoured man grasped the shaft of Ryan's axe and plunged his sword into Ryan's chest, blood ran down the cold steel of the longsword and Ryan places his left hand on the man chest plate "Morningstar" Ryan sputtered, blood ran from his mouth and then as if a candle had been extinguished Ryan's body fell limp.

Shaxx drew his sword from Ryan's corpse and let his body slump to the floor. "Fools to rob a tomb" shaxx turned his head to his right and saw a half wolf half man hybrid sprinting towards him "fucking lycans" he ready himself.

The Lycan pounced on to shaxx pinning him the ground, it roared in shaxxs face.

The Lycans fur was as dark as a winters night, it's it's teeth as sharp as spears and it's glowed a ruby red.

Shaxx pulled his dagger out from its sheathe and plunged into in the stomach of his would be killer, it whined and let go off shaxx and began to stumble away.

Shaxx stood up And grabbed his sword "oh no you don't" he ran after the wounded Lycan and cut the back of its legs open. Making it roar out in pain.

After finally falling to the ground the Lycan transformed into his human form.

"Lord ragum I heard tale that you were roaming these parts" shaxx stood over the wounded man.

Ragum screamed in pained "you killed my men" he began to crawl away leaving a trail of blood as he did.

Shaxx followed him "who sent you?"

"Fuck you" ragum screamed.

"So be it" shaxx turned ragum onto his back and placed his armoured boot on ragums hand and twisted his foot breaking ragums hand.

Ragum roared in pain, his roar was not human it was unearthly and reminded shaxx of when the Lycan had pinned him down.

"TELL ME WHO SENT YOU" shaxx pressed his dragon steel longsword against ragums throat.

"THE TRADE UNION" ragum raised his head thrusting shaxxs sword into his throat killing him instantly.

Shaxx drew his sword from ragums throat, "they scared you didn't they" he whistled and sky rode up to shaxx, he mounted his loyal steed and looked at ragums body "but what would the trade Union need with an old tomb?"