Our Reality ( After The Haunted FF~EDITING)

Chapter 5: Once Again ( Grayson's P.O.V )

As I trudged along the gravel path on my way to the inn I soon came across a creepy, worn down house that had desperately needed to be repaired. 'Might as well check it out. There's some potions in there anyway.' I thought to myself. I entered Drake and Armen's old house and looked inside the food chest. There were a couple of apples and some mutton. I took some of the apples and looked around for a backpack. And there, next to the firewood, was a small backpack that I had left before me and Drake had continued onward to the inn. I had left a backpack here just incase. I picked it up and put the Dragon egg inside aswell as the apples. I grabbed a few potions from the shelves I set up. I took two rings out of my pocket, one smaller and another being a little larger than the other. I looked at them for awhile in sadness before placing them in. 'If only I didn't take the Dragon egg... But I couldn't let the Emperor have it. It was a destructive thing if it fell into the wrong hands'. I thought, reassuring myself, only slightly. I placed the backpack around my back and walked out the front door.

I passed by the jungle and soon after navigating my way around for awhile I found the inn and entered with caution. I didn't know if anyone here was a part of the Empire. Fortunately only Paganum were there and they couldn't speak our language. I looked around on the first and second floor, but to no avail. I couldn't Drake or Mia anywhere. 'Guess they're not here...'. I said turning to leave. As I closed the doors and turned around I came face to face with none other than a mercenary. "Well just my luck". I mumbled. The mercenary smirked. Our eyes locked for a couple of moments before he suddenly lunged towards me, sword in hand. He aimed for my chest, and I dodged it with ease. I then brought out Andruin and in moments we were in a bladelock.
"The Emperor will pay me a fortune if I bring him to you!" He exclaimed.
We broke out of the bladelock and he made an attempt to slash at my legs, but I jumped quick enough, and kicked him square in the face. He staggered back in anger and I wasted no time and aimed for his shoulder. He blocked it, I uppercutted him, and he was knocked out cold.
"Not a very skilled one are you?" I said looking down at him.
'He must have been a scout in training.' I thought. I picked him up and threw him over my shoulder, cringing at how heavy he was. I looked through the door. The Paganum had not seemed to notice anything due to their excessively loud gibberish. I then slowly walked over towards the jungle. I dumped his body on the ground. I found some vines that were strong enough to act as rope. I tied his hands together tightly and grabbed all the weapons and money he had. I then quickly ran away, praying that no other mercenaries were around. 'If there was a scout around here, you would assume that there would be another mercenary around here.' I thought, looking around.
As I walked along the gravel trail to Drake's home, I thought I had heard footsteps and pulled Andruin out, and stopped in my tracks. Footsteps, fast-paced too. I guess I wasn't losing my mind. I found the source of the sound and saw the shadow of a tall person. Thinking blindly that it was another mercenary, I jumped from my hiding spot and tackled the person to the ground, putting my sword up to their neck.
"Don't move or I'l-". I stopped speaking and noticed this person all too well.
"Drake!" I said, as I got off of him, joy filling my body that he wasn't dead.
"Grayson!?!?!" He exclaimed, pulling himself up. "Where have you been?!?!"
"The portal teleported me in front of the Red Keep. I got lucky when I wasn't caught. Where have you been?!" I asked, repeating his question.
"I was teleported to the Black Forest, I found a cabin there. I took a backpack. Was it your cabin?" He asked.
"Was my home nearby?"
"Yeah. I went to your house and there was nothing left."
"I see..," I said. "Some things would have survived. I guess the mercenaries raided the place." I said, slightly annoyed.
" Yeah...We also need to find Mia." Drake suggested.
"We do." We both started walking along the path.
"Where were you headed too?" Drake asked.
"I was actually heading to your place, I thought you or Mia might have been there. But apparently you're not there." I replied. "I also went to the inn and yours and...Armen's old house". I probably made a huge mistake mentioning Armen's name to Drake. Out the three of us, he had to be the one who was most affected by his death.

"And nobody was there?" Drake had tried to not show his pain, but it had still showed slightly. 'Maybe I should tell him about the mercenary...' I thought.
"Yeah. Nobody was there."

Maybe not. I already felt bad enough by mentioning Armen's name to him, and telling him about the mercenary would probably add to his worries. It was starting to worry me a bit too. When the guy wakes up he'll probably find a way out of the vines and report to the Emperor that he found me around the area. But to be honest, the Emperor would've probably killed him off for letting me escape.
"Should we head back to my place? Mia might be there?"
Drake asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
"Can you teleport us there? I don't exactly feel like walking all the way there."  
"I actually think I can". Drake answered. "You ready?" He asked.
"Yeah." I answered. He then grabbed onto my arm and there, we teleported to his home in the mountains.