Tenberis Mundus (The Dark World)

Chapter One: The Beginning

Two men sit down at their seats around a table in a dimly lit tavern near the middle of the human city of Reme, the sound of cheering and music in the background. One of them got up to buy some drinks. "Hey, do you want anything?"Moralius said. Helus, The man at the table, short light brown hair, wearing a leather hunting jacket and a scarf said "How can you be so cheery? It's been nearly thirty minutes, and he's still not here!" The other man,the one that got up for drinks, a tall man with long brown hair, wearing a nice red leather coat said "Relax Helus, he'll be here in just a few minutes, probably got distracted on the way." Moralius said as he started walking to the counter.he bought two drinks and paid for them with two copper coins. He grabbed them off the counter and walked back to the table. "What if they found him? If they get their hands on him we'll all be exiled!" Helus said with a panicked tone to his voice. Suddenly, two guards wearing city guard uniforms,leather tunics and a steel helm with the city's emblem came bursting in through the tavern door.the sound of wind from behind them because of the sandstorm, the whole room went quiet and stared at the two. One was holding a paper with a picture of someone on it."Has Anyone seen this man? The city is offering a four hundred Gold sum to whoever finds him and brings him to justice!" the guard yelled.After a few seconds of silence the two guards left and the sound of murmur filled the room. Nearly ten minutes later a man named Haden with a long navy blue cloak that reached almost to the floor and short black hair appeared through the door. He was carrying a large bag, and as he walked to their table there was the slight sound of metallic clanking coming from it. Haden sat down with them, Helus let out a sigh of relief. As the Haden reached over to the remaining drink, and you could see that the cloak he wore was concealing things like potions, dadders.and lockpicks. "See Helus, nothing to worry about. " Moralius said "Haden, do you have the money?" he said. "Yes Moralius , I have the money,"Haden said. "Alright,let's go, we need to stash it. So no one gets suspicious."Moralius said. "The sooner we get out of here the better." Helus said with a slightly less panicked tone in his voice. The three got up, and walked out the door.into the sand storm. The city, often hit by sandstorms, sits on a relatively small desert island separated from the mainland by nearly fifteen miles of ocean. The three walked through the dimly illuminated streets.Their plan worked. and there would be no guards tonight to see them. They kept walking until they reached the edge of the city and into the vast desert.Once they felt they were far enough from the city, they found a relatively large cactus and buried the money under it. When they were done they went back to the city through the storm. Once through the gate they parted ways and went to their homes.but the city guardsmen would soon be going door to door to find the thieves who broke into the city bank...

Moralius woke the next morning in his house, a completely unremarkable house by all standards. It was old, a few holes in the thatch roof, patched by mud mixed with plant fibers. The walls were wooden with a few cheap windows and the gaps are filled with the same material he used to patch the roof. a few iron hooks on the support beams which we're fixed to the wooden floor, that was decorated with a few carpets.some of the iron hooks we're holding things like swords, daggers, and a few armor stands scattered around ,The support beams, that he used to hang his workpieces off of were pretty much the only things keeping the place from collapsing in on him. There was a stone and mud fireplace on one wall with a bit of firewood, and a table in the middle of the room. There was also a door on either side of the house. One led to his workshop that had a large coal furnace, blackened with soot, a stone grinding wheel, a massive anvil, and of course every necessary tool he needed to do his work. But the other door leads to the streets and markets. Moralius got up from his bed, Walked through his house and out the door, into the markets. He was looking for something to eat.he stopped at a food shop and bought some dried fish. But on his way back to his house he saw 3 guards walking into a home to interrogate the occupants. When he got back, he ate his food and went to his workshop. He was anxious,"What if they found Haden, or if they found Helus?" He pushed those thoughts aside and got to work. He was in the middle of lighting his forge, when suddenly he heard a loud banging noise from his front door anxiety filled him as he stopped what he was doing and walked to it. He opened the door and outside there were 3 armed guards, one had a picture, a drawing of someone. "Blacksmith!"He addressed Moralius, presenting the picture,"Have you seen this man ?"Moralius looked at the picture, starting to sweat. It was a picture of haden. He looked back to the guard and said"No sir I have not." The guard then replied "Well if you do, report him to the nearest guard, Do not attempt to fight him alone, he is very dangerous, Be on the lookout!" the trio of guards left, and Moralius let out a sigh of relief."They're onto us,"he said to himself .than another knock on his door, this one was more quiet, Moralius opened the door and there he was, Haden had his hood up and he quickly went into his house "Moralius, Wheres Helus?" he asked in a panicked tone. "I don't know, did you Check his house?" Moralius said. "That part of town is swarming with guards, i can't sneak past!"Haden said. "Ok i'll go check,"Moralius replied. "Wait! We might need to leave the city, this is the kind of thing that doesn't just blow over"Haden said. "But that would be extremely dangerous, Do you know what sort of creatures even dwell there!?!".Moralius said in an agitated voice. "I know!... But, it's better than the alternatives."Haden said. "Fine I'll go tell him, but no promises."Moralius said. He then walked out the door into the crowded streets, and after almost an hour he found helus's house.