Abandoned In Claddeau, Adventurers Book 1

Chapter 1 ~ Perceval Drudge

Duke Windell wanted us to investigate the Colonials. Particularly, if there have been any conflicts that would insist that battles between them are nearing the Feydom's border.

We had investigated the colonies that popped up more to the south of Regalia and now make our way along the coast up north. We stopped at Graylen and now head up north.

During our time in Graylen, which is a port town belonging to Regalia, they offered a ride to head north to another town belonging to the Colonials. Our driver took us for a lovely view of the night sky where the moon stood free with the stars. They shined down on the hillside to our right, below us. There, glistening trees stood tall or tangled. It felt as if someone was watching us below but no one was around.

"Drudge," Kethra said, "Do you see something out there?" She seemed fidgety, bobbing her head slightly to get a good look outside.

"It's just a lovely night is all. Something about it is curious to me." My bony hands brush along Peep's head as he drones off in sleep

Kriv quickly pushes his face to the window, "I saw something out there! Something menacing!"

I try my luck and see what I can find through the meager window but nothing seems to turn up other than land blanketed in the night. Just the dirt road and vegetation along the side. "We'll have to be watchful then. I fear that you're being honest. The night is-"

However, some force had jostled our ride down the forested hillside. Something draped in black cloth drifts in the air, spiraling back where we came. Our carriage seemed to have lost its place on the ground and we soon began to tumble down a hill.

My bones rattled as we fell and collided with each other. It all went so rapidly before I found myself laying in a messy heap of my friends. My bones ache as I finally begin making sense of the mess I found myself in. Something tickles within my ribs, a side effect of the necromancy which raised me, perhaps?

"Oh, my leg!" Kriv wails in stunned agony, "I can't feel it! I don't want to see what's become of it!"

From what I see, his leg is within my rib cage which I easily pluck right out.

"It's alright, I feel it again-" to which he looks at my bony fingers coiled around his scaly red leg, "Oh, I see now..."

Arthur is the first to step out, followed by Sariel, both stretching out and even popping a few bones. Quite morbid just thinking about my stature.

Kriv weasels his way out, shaking his leg as if to make sure it has its senses again.

Peep crawls out next, only to turn about and try pulling on my arm to hopefully tug me out of the mess.

I can feel two distinct feet being placed on the rear of my ribs, which I can only assume to be Kethra's. She then launches me out, even knocking over Peep in the process.

Now, we've all finally came out alive. No doubt a few bruises but nothing much.

"Absolutely barbaric! At least fight us on the field than cheat your way to killing us!" Arthur nags while straightening his attire.

"Says the man who made a pact to advance his career," Sariel scoffs, "Besides, you don't even like fighting."

Arthur ignores her taunting, kneeling down by our unconscious driver but all I hope I saw is him mourning the dead as he pats around the body.

As I stand up, something yanks on the tail of my coat, which being Peep, who points towards through the trees.

From what I could see, there are fairly large walls of a wooden fort; even a few homes peak above the rim. Another key feature is that there are a few arrows sticking out of them. Stepping closer, I only see a small mound by the entrance, which turns out to be dead bodies which scatter around.

Kethra steps up to the scene, analyzing around the wasted and torn bodies of the fallen, "Based on the positioning of the dead, it seems we had two factions going at it. The first seems to be that of the Triumvirate while the other seems more devolved based on the arrows and the sword hilt and blade patterns."

"Now this, Mr. Dwindle, is barbaric," I comment.

"Oh, haha, Bonesy, but the real question is what barbarous acts occurred here. It seems to be the work of petty disputes." He replies.

Sariel comes running past me and Kethra, kneeling down at the side of the bodies. She plucks an arrow, examining the tips of them. With each second, she seems more and more unnerved.

"What's wrong?" Kriv comes rushing by her, eyeing the various equipment on the ground. No doubt he's more interested in the fun "toys" than the loss of lives.

"These arrows and bodies are of the nivallen. I fear we may be being hunted by them if they're around. The nivallen are not fond of intruders from what I can recall, yet why would they expand closer to Regalia? They loathe those eladrin for every bit of their being."

"Elves are twigs anyways! I bet I could snap one in half just like that!" Kriv brags.

"If you can even hit one is the real question," Sariel replies. She reaches to her back to pull her crossbow at the ready. Her back stays to the fort walls as she looks above and below the branches of the trees.

"Let's be on our guard then," I advise, "There's no telling who could still be alive around these parts. Let's try not to lose their hospitality.