The Chronicles of Swords and Sorcery

Perseus Blackwood

The following days as we travelled, it seems we had come to some sort of truce. We no longer bickered, and worked together instead to journey. I showed him which paths had bandits, and how to predict that.

We also got very good at avoiding the magehounds. To our knowledge, we were being tracked down by only 2 that remained. We kept our magic to a minimum, and when we did use it, we were out of the area quickly.

28 days into our quest, we came to the first village. Ah.. it had been one.. At one point. When we road over the crest to see the village below. There was nothing but ruins.

I pulled my horse to a stop, my breath catching in my throat. Eryx pulled up beside me. I could see his eyes darken, his hands tightening on the reigns.

"It's.. gone." I murmur quietly. Eryx said nothing. Just spurring his horse forward slowly. I followed him down the path.

We came up to the village steadily. The scent of death thick. There were no embers, nothing smoldering and no smoke. It had fallen many days ago.

We stopped in town center. Dried blood splattered the cobbles. A few forms lay under debris. Most were ravaged by animals.

"It is tragic what has happened here." A quiet voice murmured behind us, regardless his voice carried. We turned our horses sharply, drawing our swords.

An older man stood on the cobbles looking at the town, a simple wooden staff held under his hands, which were folded on top of it.

The man appeared to be in his sixties perhaps. Weathered, tan skin spoke of a hard life outside. His long, thick beard was streaked with silver and white, and he was adorned with matching hair- perhaps slightly darker- which was tied up with a simble brown leather thong. His eyes were striking, shifting from a deep warm brown to a golden amber.

He wore a faded cloak of deep green, dressed in earthen colors. Perhaps a wandering hermit or a sage. He wore a small silver pendant as well, a rune I did not recognize carved into it.

"Who.. are you..?" Eyrx asked, a hint of distrust in his voice. The man smiled softly, "Ah, names. Do names matter? We are all but small seconds in eternity. If you so desire a name, call me.. Crow."

I shared a look with Eryx, our eyes meeting briefly. This man was odd. Eryx shrugged almost imperceptively.

"Aha, I see you both have much to do. I am only a simple traveler. Might you both share your journey with me? I am but a mere collector of stories." I hesitated, Eryx looked ready to deny him. I offered a small smile.

"I imagine we can spare a moment to rest." I give Eryx a look, dismounting. The old man, Crow, looked delighted.

We got settled away from the town center. Tying our horses up. We stepped into a house Crow leads us to, mostly in tact. Maybe where he was sleeping for the time being.

"Where have you traveled?" I ask, to make conversation with the man. Who moved with more vitality than I would think an old man of his form should have.

He smiled and hummed a soft tune, "Ah, all over. Here and there. Wherever the roads lead. And wherever they do not." Eryx and I shared another look, and I cleared my throat, offering a tight smile, "Of course."

He went on, "What quest might you two be placed upon? I do so love hearing about them." Eryx spoke, his voice a little rough,

"How do you know we are on a quest? We could just be traveling." Crow smiled softly, "A man of little trust I see. Fear not, sir, I mean no harm. You both seem to have seen very much already." Crow gestured to our tattered clothes. As much as we took care of our gear, the fight with the magehounds left our gear worse for wear.