Rune of Oldfyre

Chapter Six

The first village we came upon was called Sumthinorothr (some ancient Valeic name). The people seemed a tiny bit odd. There was the woman force feeding porridge to a group of faceless children, or the man talking to a small party of hooded figures, then there was the eerie light that seemed to cast itself from nowhere. I was a bit disconcerted by it all. We decided as a group that it was of vital importance that we walk right through the village. The first major decision we’d have to make over the course of our journey.

Avoiding the strange village, we found ourselves in an immense forest. The Plague Woods, they it was called. Named after the feeling it fills you with, the kind that makes you want to avoid it like the plague. The path we traversed was scantily used and overgrown. Every few steps one of us would stumble on a root or hidden stone.

We were about to cross a river when we heard a whistling noise fly by. I was stabbed in the left shoulder by some sort of flying blade. The next thing I knew I was pinned to a nearby tree. It wasn’t just a blade though. Following the blade from my shoulder was a long chain reaching into the mass of vegetation in front of me. I tried grabbing the chain but it lacerated my hands. Each individual link was sharpened razor thin.

“Shit FUCK!” Allister cried.

This wasn’t the first time I’d been stabbed in my life. I mean it was the first time I’d been stabbed with a chain. But I was used to Dirk’s blade, I think I could handle this asshole.

“What the hell asshole!” I yelled at the darkness. “What’s your problem?”

“Who speaks to me?” A deep and throaty voice called from the trees.

“A pissed off wizard!” I yelled. “That’s who!”

There was a rush of movement from the brush. Standing in front of me was a tall shadowy figure, chain-blade emerging from his right sleeve. He just stood there.

“Uh, hello?!” I yelled at what I perceived to be his face.

“Can you feel death closing in on you?” He said cryptically.

“No, but I can feel your stupid as toy in my shoulder.” I said to him. There was a *clink* of metal grinding and the chain shot out from shoulder back to his hand, pulling blood and pieces of bone with it. I grabbed my shoulder. blood slowly pouring out of it.

He leaned in close to my face, eyes glowing a soft orange. “You may call me the Stranger.”