megamania
Hero
JOHN PLAY
“Play To Win”
SEGMENT 010
“Bleak Caves ”
Sypheros 6, 996
“My brother should be somewhere within that hillside. There are a series of caves there that many people like himself have gone to hide.” Shasta says pointing to an area they should reach that afternoon.
John Play looks to it. Something is bothering him about it. “How long has he been here?”
“He found his way there shortly after fleeing Aundair. Why?”
Silence as he looks at the white clouds and blue sky. Hundreds of birds fly in the sky. The caves would have bird-nesting areas at the higher levels. But something is wrong.
“Will you stop it!” She turns and glares at him. “Everytime we see reach some point of interest or a person or place that is not a village or farming group you assume there is trouble. Stop it. The war is over.”
Play decides to resist informing her that the war has only shifted in tactics. Open warfare was proving too costly for everyone. Just ask the Cyrians. Now it is run through covert efforts. It is part of why he dropped out of the war. No good was going to come of it. At least this way, he may be able to actually help people. There is no paranoia if there is danger. No. Something here is not right. He just can’t place it. It is a 6th sense of his and it has served him well in the past. “Lets go. I want to reach there before dark. Once there, do you know how to contact him?”
“No. I thought we would just ask around.”
“More than likely he will take up an alias. It won’t be as easy as just asking around.”
They continue on in silence. John’s eyes never leave the birds. So many birds and they are all circling above. Circling. A small twist in the bottom of his gut begins to set and grow.
They agree to skip lunch and push on. In a few hours they arrive at the base of the area.
“Hear me out Shasta,” begins John looking around, “This is basically a village of people on the run and looking for sanctuary.” He waves about him once they stop. “They would post guards or have someone here to “greet” us and learn our purpose. I see nothing.”
Shasta opens her mouth to argue but stops. She begins to look around. “Maybe we have arrows notched and aimed at us now and we just don’t see them.”
“Why don’t you ask him.” John says with a grim face and motioning ahead of them. Within a tree is a man hanging from a rope. A quiver of arrows still on his hip.
John pulls his two daggers and slips off his horse. He looks up. The birds. They are circling. Not for nesting but for feeding. They are carrion birds. He hates it when he is right.
There are signs of scavengers of dead bodies. Tracks of big cats, wolves and maybe even bears. No more bears thinks John as he looks for the caves and cause of the carnage.
They find an entrance to the caves. There is nothing here. They walk very carefully there. The bodies he found that could be identified as for cause of death suggest a systematic slaughter of people during the night. Memories stir of why her brother is on the run. The Cutthroat of Calbert. This is exactly what he did. He read several of the reports when Breland employed him. But why do it this time?
Suddenly an arrow strikes the ground before them. John whirls and crouches readied to spring into action.
“Jumpy.” Says a gruff voice from the forest.
John’s eyes search the woods. He spots the figure within a tree but continues to look away. Figure was crouched down like himself. Making for a smaller and harder subject to spot or strike.
“Who are you?” John calls out.
“Where is my brother?” calls out Shasta making John grit his teeth. She would never become a spy.
“I survive. I have an arrow trained on your head. That is enough for now. As for if you had someone here…. I fear he is dead.”
Thinking the several options that are possible, John stops and slowly stands up. He slowly places his daggers away and holds out his open hands then looks to where the assailant was. Key word. Was. John almost jumps and Shasta squeaks as the figure speaks to them from a mere few feet away. John turns readied to strike with his hands if he has too. ½ Orc. Cloak that aids in hiding and blending. Dagger, short sword, bow…. Boots clean suggesting magic. “We come in peace. We are merely seeking someone whom has taken refuge here.”
“I know some of the people here. I can maybe help. In exchange, will you help me with the bodies?”
“Done.” Says Shasta before John can barter.
There were about one hundred people hiding here. Each had a duty within the village. Food, shelter, security or even entertainment. They helped each to survive in these woods. John spotted one man he knew from a mission. A mission that went horribly wrong within the borders of Cyre about ten years ago. It was an early mission.
They learn the ½ Orc’s name. Grysk. He walks the borders of this valley. He watched to make sure there was no trouble within these caves and also to watch for adventurers whom would get into trouble.
They eventually come to the brother’s section of the caves. Strangely enough, much of his belongings are gone. They see no body. There are two bodies here however. Grysk looks at them. They were new to the Caves. On the run. Something about evil that searched for greater evil.
John looks through the belongings of these two. He finds a journal. The best and worst thing a traveler can ever have. Good to remind yourself of things but also allows someone to learn everything you were trying to keep secret. John looks through it while Grysk collects some rabbits for food.
Shasta returns and notes John’s face. “What is wrong?”
“Two eyes.”
“What?”
“One of the travelers had two different colored eyes. Strange but so many that come here have strange things happen to them.” Adds Grysk holding two rabbits.
“One blue and one green?”
“Yes.”
“This journal describes them a great deal. Where they encountered the creature and where it is headed. It has you brother. I am certain of it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Whisper.”
Whispering…. “why”
“NO!” He raises his voice. Whisper was the name Breland gave the demon. It possesses people, killers, and makes them kill. I…. I fought him once. In Sharn. It nearly killed me. I thought I had killed it. I guess I only killed the host.”
“The demon was headed to the mountains of the Demon Wastes. I think it has possessed your brother and by using his skills, murdered everyone here… on a whim.”
Silence as everyone takes in the dire news.
“Shasta, I can not recommend you to follow, though your brother will be there, but I’m headed to the mountains to stop this monster.”
“I’ll go. How dare you suggest I don’t.”
Grysk speaks up. “He means to warn you. A demon has possessed your brother. It controls him. It will use him to stop you also. Unless the demon can be found or forced from his body, he is already dead.”
A long pause. “We go in the mourning.”
“Play To Win”
SEGMENT 010
“Bleak Caves ”
Sypheros 6, 996
“My brother should be somewhere within that hillside. There are a series of caves there that many people like himself have gone to hide.” Shasta says pointing to an area they should reach that afternoon.
John Play looks to it. Something is bothering him about it. “How long has he been here?”
“He found his way there shortly after fleeing Aundair. Why?”
Silence as he looks at the white clouds and blue sky. Hundreds of birds fly in the sky. The caves would have bird-nesting areas at the higher levels. But something is wrong.
“Will you stop it!” She turns and glares at him. “Everytime we see reach some point of interest or a person or place that is not a village or farming group you assume there is trouble. Stop it. The war is over.”
Play decides to resist informing her that the war has only shifted in tactics. Open warfare was proving too costly for everyone. Just ask the Cyrians. Now it is run through covert efforts. It is part of why he dropped out of the war. No good was going to come of it. At least this way, he may be able to actually help people. There is no paranoia if there is danger. No. Something here is not right. He just can’t place it. It is a 6th sense of his and it has served him well in the past. “Lets go. I want to reach there before dark. Once there, do you know how to contact him?”
“No. I thought we would just ask around.”
“More than likely he will take up an alias. It won’t be as easy as just asking around.”
They continue on in silence. John’s eyes never leave the birds. So many birds and they are all circling above. Circling. A small twist in the bottom of his gut begins to set and grow.
They agree to skip lunch and push on. In a few hours they arrive at the base of the area.
“Hear me out Shasta,” begins John looking around, “This is basically a village of people on the run and looking for sanctuary.” He waves about him once they stop. “They would post guards or have someone here to “greet” us and learn our purpose. I see nothing.”
Shasta opens her mouth to argue but stops. She begins to look around. “Maybe we have arrows notched and aimed at us now and we just don’t see them.”
“Why don’t you ask him.” John says with a grim face and motioning ahead of them. Within a tree is a man hanging from a rope. A quiver of arrows still on his hip.
John pulls his two daggers and slips off his horse. He looks up. The birds. They are circling. Not for nesting but for feeding. They are carrion birds. He hates it when he is right.
There are signs of scavengers of dead bodies. Tracks of big cats, wolves and maybe even bears. No more bears thinks John as he looks for the caves and cause of the carnage.
They find an entrance to the caves. There is nothing here. They walk very carefully there. The bodies he found that could be identified as for cause of death suggest a systematic slaughter of people during the night. Memories stir of why her brother is on the run. The Cutthroat of Calbert. This is exactly what he did. He read several of the reports when Breland employed him. But why do it this time?
Suddenly an arrow strikes the ground before them. John whirls and crouches readied to spring into action.
“Jumpy.” Says a gruff voice from the forest.
John’s eyes search the woods. He spots the figure within a tree but continues to look away. Figure was crouched down like himself. Making for a smaller and harder subject to spot or strike.
“Who are you?” John calls out.
“Where is my brother?” calls out Shasta making John grit his teeth. She would never become a spy.
“I survive. I have an arrow trained on your head. That is enough for now. As for if you had someone here…. I fear he is dead.”
Thinking the several options that are possible, John stops and slowly stands up. He slowly places his daggers away and holds out his open hands then looks to where the assailant was. Key word. Was. John almost jumps and Shasta squeaks as the figure speaks to them from a mere few feet away. John turns readied to strike with his hands if he has too. ½ Orc. Cloak that aids in hiding and blending. Dagger, short sword, bow…. Boots clean suggesting magic. “We come in peace. We are merely seeking someone whom has taken refuge here.”
“I know some of the people here. I can maybe help. In exchange, will you help me with the bodies?”
“Done.” Says Shasta before John can barter.
There were about one hundred people hiding here. Each had a duty within the village. Food, shelter, security or even entertainment. They helped each to survive in these woods. John spotted one man he knew from a mission. A mission that went horribly wrong within the borders of Cyre about ten years ago. It was an early mission.
They learn the ½ Orc’s name. Grysk. He walks the borders of this valley. He watched to make sure there was no trouble within these caves and also to watch for adventurers whom would get into trouble.
They eventually come to the brother’s section of the caves. Strangely enough, much of his belongings are gone. They see no body. There are two bodies here however. Grysk looks at them. They were new to the Caves. On the run. Something about evil that searched for greater evil.
John looks through the belongings of these two. He finds a journal. The best and worst thing a traveler can ever have. Good to remind yourself of things but also allows someone to learn everything you were trying to keep secret. John looks through it while Grysk collects some rabbits for food.
Shasta returns and notes John’s face. “What is wrong?”
“Two eyes.”
“What?”
“One of the travelers had two different colored eyes. Strange but so many that come here have strange things happen to them.” Adds Grysk holding two rabbits.
“One blue and one green?”
“Yes.”
“This journal describes them a great deal. Where they encountered the creature and where it is headed. It has you brother. I am certain of it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Whisper.”
Whispering…. “why”
“NO!” He raises his voice. Whisper was the name Breland gave the demon. It possesses people, killers, and makes them kill. I…. I fought him once. In Sharn. It nearly killed me. I thought I had killed it. I guess I only killed the host.”
“The demon was headed to the mountains of the Demon Wastes. I think it has possessed your brother and by using his skills, murdered everyone here… on a whim.”
Silence as everyone takes in the dire news.
“Shasta, I can not recommend you to follow, though your brother will be there, but I’m headed to the mountains to stop this monster.”
“I’ll go. How dare you suggest I don’t.”
Grysk speaks up. “He means to warn you. A demon has possessed your brother. It controls him. It will use him to stop you also. Unless the demon can be found or forced from his body, he is already dead.”
A long pause. “We go in the mourning.”