Symphony Of Violence

Concerto of the Swordmaster

The three-day journey to Borewind City had been a grim and unsettling one for Luca Altmann and his apprentice, Halduin. Along the road, they had passed countless piles of dead bodies - the lifeless remains of knights and soldiers from both the Grimwald and Veraci families. The long-standing feud between these two powerful clans had erupted into open warfare, leaving a trail of carnage in its wake.

As they neared the outskirts of the Veraci province, the tension in the air was palpable. Everyone they encountered spoke in hushed tones, fearful of being overheard. The bad blood between the Grimwalds and the Vecaris ran deep, with each vying to seize the throne by any means necessary. It was a dangerous game of power and subterfuge, and Luca knew they were treading on treacherous ground.

Arriving at the local inn in Borewind, Luca approached the innkeeper, seeking directions to the main city of Verace. The man's eyes widened with trepidation, and he nervously replied, "I... I'm not sure. It's best not to go there, if you can help it. There have been so many disappearances in the city lately. Folks just vanish, never to be seen again."

Sensing the innkeeper's unwillingness to provide any further information, Luca decided to try a different approach. "Thank you for the warning. Perhaps you can point us in the direction of the mercenary guild? We may have better luck there in finding a guide to Verace."

The innkeeper nodded reluctantly and provided the directions to the guild, his gaze filled with a mixture of concern and pity as Luca and Halduin departed.

The mercenary guild was a stark contrast to the bustling inn. As Luca and Halduin entered, they were greeted by an eerie silence, with only a lone receptionist sitting behind the desk, her eyes widening in shock at their arrival.

"Mercenaries?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I... I'm afraid we don't have many left. Most have either been killed or have disappeared, just like the others."

Luca's brow furrowed, a sense of unease settling in the pit of his stomach. "Disappeared? What do you mean?"

The receptionist hesitated, glancing around nervously before leaning in and whispering, "The Veraci Family... they've been taking people, one by one. No one knows where they're taken or what happens to them. It's as if the very ground swallows them up."

Halduin's brow furrowed as he leaned in closer to Luca. "Master, what could the Veraci family be planning by taking all these people?" he whispered, his voice heavy with concern.

Luca's expression remained cool and composed as he replied, "It's likely they are looking to bolster their manpower, to gain an advantage over the Grimwalds in this ongoing power struggle." His tone was calm, yet there was an underlying steel to his words.

Halduin's eyes widened as a realization dawned on him. "My daughter... I... I hope she's fine." His voice trembled with a mixture of fear and determination.

The receptionist hesitated, then spoke up, "I can't recall any of our mercenary members who know the way to the main city of Verace. However, there is a scribe who often goes there to work in the governing hall. He lives just down the road from the main entrance of Borewind."

Luca and Halduin hurried to the scribe's house, only to find it abandoned, the windows broken and the door hanging open. Luca's keen eyes spotted a faint trail of blood leading from the window, disappearing into the darkness around the back of the house.

Luca crouched down, carefully examining the blood. "It's fresh," he murmured, his expression grave. "Someone was taken from here, and recently."

Halduin's eyes widened, his heart racing. "How can you tell?"

"Experience," Luca replied simply, rising to his feet and following the blood trail, which led them to a nearby alley and a sewer opening.

Halduin's face paled as he gazed upon the sewer entrance. "The Veraci family," he whispered, the dread in his voice palpable. "They must have taken him, just like the others."