Bile rose in my throat as I stared down the warning Torin's mark had left on the walls of his room. The carnage we stepped over to get there had been so well-shredded as to forget it started out as a collection of humans - walking, talking beings. Our luck ended, it seemed, as Torin found his belongings. The identifiable remains of a woman, eyes forever locked in a blank expression of surprise, housed his sword.
A lone, lit lantern, suspiciously full, illuminated the windowless room, attracting Torin's attention. He threw it to the ground, breaking the glass and letting the oil soak the floorboards.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing else valuable of mine is in this room anymore. He could have
taken my coin, but most likely someone else came in after him to rob the
bodies. Might I suggest we leave?"
The flames were spreading. There was no time.
"Don't you think before you act?" I complained, hurrying back to the entrance. In the time we'd spent shuffling through gore, the sun would have risen too high in the sky for a dim escape. "How are we supposed to get out of here? Does your monstrous friend strike towns blind as well? Oblivious to large buildings on fire?"
Torin scowled at me. "I do, in fact, think. I thought before I ever paid for the room!" With that, he tried the knob of a locked door. When it didn't yield, he kicked it in. "Hurry, there's not much time," he insisted. Smoke was beginning to roll through the common room.
I followed him into what looked like a stock room, where he had thrown aside a tattered old rug to reveal a hidden portal in the floor. "Where does this lead?" I asked as he opened the door and began to step into the hole.
"Outside the village. It isn't a long passage. Quickly, now, before the smoke reaches here too!"
I turned to wedge the damaged door back into its frame, then pulled a folded cloth bag out of my belt. "Just a moment," I demanded as I began to shove food into it. "Who knows what we'll found out there? Ah, we're lucky!" I held up a flint for a second before pocketing it. Torin growled as I tossed a stray, half-emptied lantern his way and occupied my free hand with a precious skin flask of wine. Smoke curled through the cracks in the door as I threw the bag's handle over my shoulder and scurried down the hatch.
With the opened floor swung back into place, the tunnel was pitch black. I fumbled for the flint in my dress, but Torin grabbed me by the arm and tugged. "There's no need for that," he said, breaking out into a run.
"I can't see!" I sputtered, stumbling over the uneven ground. He was following the twists of the cavern with impossible accuracy, while I bumped into the cold dirt wall more often than I liked. Soon, the ceiling opened up above us and the morning was visible through the mouth of a small cave that opened into dense forest.
Torin gazed smugly at the flames licking at the sky in the distance. "Let's get moving," he sighed, striking out East, away from the town.
"Wait a minute," I protested. "What makes you think I'm going with you? Do you even know where you're going?" His loud laugh nearly knocked me off my feet.
"Let's pretend you didn't just put yourself on a mass-murderer's wanted list," he began as his mirth died down. "Your old protector is gone. A woman on her own in these woods, no matter how well armed with my weapons, won't do well if she runs into too many outlaws at once. Of course, you could always go back to town and explain what happened to what's left of its denizens. But in short, I owe you. So stay here if you want, but I don't want to find your body pinned to a wall next week."
I thought about what I must look like, with my careworn clothes, stringy unwashed hair, and mismatched bags criss-crossing my body. I looked like I belonged to nobody, like I might not be missed, and like I might have something worth stealing. In fact, if he weren't in my debt, I'd probably be next on Torin's hit list. I was stuck "I need time to make a new plan, so I'll go with you for now. But not East. I'll go in any direction but East."
"A new plan, huh? Well, I've already been West. He doesn't like to backtrack. Let's go South. We've got all day, and thanks to you, we're even well-supplied." He set out, with the dawn at his left, at an easy pace. After a while, I could feel his eyes burning into my side.
"What?"
"Morbid curiosity ... what's to the east?"
"The thing I'm running from, naturally."
"Funny. You're trying to escape danger, and I'm trying to find it."
I laughed. "Danger, in death? Gods, no. It's the danger in life I'm running from."
2.10.2012
2.09.2012
Torin - Day One: Part 3
I kept an eye on her as we walked inside the inn, reading her expressions as we walked through the carnage. I could see a flicker or two of sadness at this immense, unnecessary loss of life, but otherwise she was reacting very minimally. You've been at this for some time. It took years for me to get used to this kind of sight.
From what I could tell there were around 10 people in the main room when he attacked. Not much left of them now. He really wants to get me into trouble and out of his hair. As we rounded the corner into the hallway leading to the few rooms, I looked back to her again, "You sure you're okay?"
"I'll be fine. What kind of man is this that you're chasing? From everything I see here, he seems more akin to a beast or a demon, rather than a man."
I started walking slowly as I spoke, "If I called him a man, then I apologize. He's not a man anymore, per se. He may have the body of a man, but his soul... His soul may not even exist any more. He creates nothing but carnage and destruction, and yet somehow no one in the area can ever catch the faintest glimpse of him. I can't understand it, except for the use of some sort of magic, or even something akin to hypnosis. But at the root of it all, he's nothing more than a ruthless beast that needs to be put down, simply to put and end to his killing."
"If you think such of him, why put so much effort into hunting him down?" She asked, stepping over what remained of a elderly man. "Why are you the person hunting him?"
"Some time ago he tried to kill me. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't some deliberate, planned attempt on my life. I had done him no harm; just another possible victim, but probably not what he expected. You've bore witness to that. I didn't realize what he was, or how many people he'd already killed. I beat him back, and he ran away. A couple of days later, I found out about an entire village about 120 miles from here, out in the East. Every single person had been beaten, killed, and mutilated. He had killed all of them. His... style is unique. So that kind of set the wheels in motion. I decided that I had to do something about it."
"Did you think yourself to be responsible for their deaths?"
"In a way. If I had killed him, then he wouldn't have killed anyone else since. But he's fast. He almost seems to jump from region to region without rest. I've been chasing him for 3 years, at least."
"How is that possible? Could it be more than one killer?"
"I don't know, honestly. He travels too quickly, but I can never find anyone to give me a description. This is honestly the closest I've been to him in a while." I stopped at the door to the room I had rented.
"...I believe we have made it to your room, Torin." Diana said, peering around me. "Just a feeling." Spattered across the door were several bloody handprints, and words carved into the surface. 'YOU WILL FAIL,' dug deep into the wood and filled in with blood. I opened the door slowly to find a woman staring at me, cold and lifeless. He had done so much in so little time. She was attached to the far wall by several of the soldier's weapons and a couple large shards of wood he had driven into her limbs and torso. She was stripped and slashed open; strewn about as though he wanted to make her a part of the room. And embedded into her chest was what I had come for. My broadsword was glistening in the darkness with blood, and the blade itself had darkened as a result. I sheathed my short blade and walked to the body.
"...Gods. This is... What are you doing?" Diana asked as I reached up and gripped the handle of my sword. I removed the weapon from the corpse quickly, and set it into a set of small hook and clasps on my jacket. I scanned the room quickly picked up a lantern, then turned to my inadvertent companion and tossed the lantern over my shoulder. The lantern shattered on the ground, the oil spreading across the dry wood and the surface catching ablaze.
"Nothing else valuable of mine is in this room anymore. He could have taken my coin, but most likely someone else came in after him to rob the bodies. Might I suggest we leave?"
From what I could tell there were around 10 people in the main room when he attacked. Not much left of them now. He really wants to get me into trouble and out of his hair. As we rounded the corner into the hallway leading to the few rooms, I looked back to her again, "You sure you're okay?"
"I'll be fine. What kind of man is this that you're chasing? From everything I see here, he seems more akin to a beast or a demon, rather than a man."
I started walking slowly as I spoke, "If I called him a man, then I apologize. He's not a man anymore, per se. He may have the body of a man, but his soul... His soul may not even exist any more. He creates nothing but carnage and destruction, and yet somehow no one in the area can ever catch the faintest glimpse of him. I can't understand it, except for the use of some sort of magic, or even something akin to hypnosis. But at the root of it all, he's nothing more than a ruthless beast that needs to be put down, simply to put and end to his killing."
"If you think such of him, why put so much effort into hunting him down?" She asked, stepping over what remained of a elderly man. "Why are you the person hunting him?"
"Some time ago he tried to kill me. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't some deliberate, planned attempt on my life. I had done him no harm; just another possible victim, but probably not what he expected. You've bore witness to that. I didn't realize what he was, or how many people he'd already killed. I beat him back, and he ran away. A couple of days later, I found out about an entire village about 120 miles from here, out in the East. Every single person had been beaten, killed, and mutilated. He had killed all of them. His... style is unique. So that kind of set the wheels in motion. I decided that I had to do something about it."
"Did you think yourself to be responsible for their deaths?"
"In a way. If I had killed him, then he wouldn't have killed anyone else since. But he's fast. He almost seems to jump from region to region without rest. I've been chasing him for 3 years, at least."
"How is that possible? Could it be more than one killer?"
"I don't know, honestly. He travels too quickly, but I can never find anyone to give me a description. This is honestly the closest I've been to him in a while." I stopped at the door to the room I had rented.
"...I believe we have made it to your room, Torin." Diana said, peering around me. "Just a feeling." Spattered across the door were several bloody handprints, and words carved into the surface. 'YOU WILL FAIL,' dug deep into the wood and filled in with blood. I opened the door slowly to find a woman staring at me, cold and lifeless. He had done so much in so little time. She was attached to the far wall by several of the soldier's weapons and a couple large shards of wood he had driven into her limbs and torso. She was stripped and slashed open; strewn about as though he wanted to make her a part of the room. And embedded into her chest was what I had come for. My broadsword was glistening in the darkness with blood, and the blade itself had darkened as a result. I sheathed my short blade and walked to the body.
"...Gods. This is... What are you doing?" Diana asked as I reached up and gripped the handle of my sword. I removed the weapon from the corpse quickly, and set it into a set of small hook and clasps on my jacket. I scanned the room quickly picked up a lantern, then turned to my inadvertent companion and tossed the lantern over my shoulder. The lantern shattered on the ground, the oil spreading across the dry wood and the surface catching ablaze.
"Nothing else valuable of mine is in this room anymore. He could have taken my coin, but most likely someone else came in after him to rob the bodies. Might I suggest we leave?"
Day One: Diana (Part Two)
He threw me over his shoulder so easily, as though I didn't weigh a pound. I couldn't help but cry out, regretting it the moment I saw a nearby guard's head raise in alarm.
Before he could connect my voice to my location, the ground flew out from under us at a sickening rate. Gods, but the man can fly! I barely contained my surprise as he set me down and continued sizing me up. I had certainly chosen an interesting new companion, though if he continued to handle me like a sack of potatoes, his uniqueness would not assist him.
Once assured that the guards would not be expecting us atop the roof of the local inn, we relaxed and he began to introduce himself.
"I'm Torin," he began, holding his hand out to me. It seemed a gesture given too late - having already laid hands on me, already entered my personal space. He would not enter it again by my choice! After a moment, his arm dropped as he smirked at me.
"What are you doing here?"
"It's nice to meet you too. Well, if you insist," he sighed, "I've been following someone ... maybe something, and it's brought me here. In every town, there have been terrible murders, bodies left scattered in pieces or scraps hanging from trees and roofs. There aren't any witnesses for any of the murders, and in fact the townspeople act like they've just woken from a dream."
"So you're investigating it?" I asked, eyebrow cocked.
"You could say that," he chuckled. "We can't have anybody edging in on our business, now can we?"
My temper flared. "I am not a murderer!" I hissed, stepping aggressively towards him. "Any man I've killed had bought his way to hell long before." The amused look on his face melted into a sad understanding. "My name is Diana. My ... companion ... and I were just passing through. I've got my own quest that's brought me this way," I finished, noticing Torin's attention had shifted to the ground below.
I followed his gaze to the entrance of the inn, where a wide swath of blood peppered by armor painted the cobblestones and stairs leading to the door.
"We need to move. I need to get my gear and we need to leave. I have this feeling that this isn't coincidental," he insisted, again holding his hand out to me. This time I had no choice but to allow his touch as he grabbed me and leaped to the dirt. The smell on the ground made my stomach twist as the blood heated with the rising sun. Torin seemed to end his survey and focus on the door. His eyes had transformed from the red shade they had after his murder to a cooler gray. After a moment, I spoke up:
"What's wrong?"
"We'll see once we get inside. But I have this suspicion that he knows I'm here. He's found his way out, and it looks to me that he might try to use me as a scapegoat. In short, he's trying to pin his little spree on me," he explained. I stared into the dark doorway, hoping the dawn might lend some clue to what might wait within.
"Do you think he's inside?"
He shook his head and handed me a knife with a grim look. "I don't want to do this, but the moment I walk inside without you, he'll end up out here tearing you apart like those soldiers. And I'd never hear you scream, because you wouldn't get the chance. So take this, stay close, and don't hesitate to use it." I balanced the knife in my hand - rather heavier than I would have preferred, had we more time. But not the worst weapon to have in-hand, should push come to shove. I nodded and begrudgingly placed my hand on his arm to serve as a lifeline in the dark building, assuring him I could handle myself.
He looked down at me with a naked sadness in his now-gray eyes. I bristled at his implied pity, at the idea that I might not come out of the inn alive.
I grit my teeth and advanced.
Before he could connect my voice to my location, the ground flew out from under us at a sickening rate. Gods, but the man can fly! I barely contained my surprise as he set me down and continued sizing me up. I had certainly chosen an interesting new companion, though if he continued to handle me like a sack of potatoes, his uniqueness would not assist him.
Once assured that the guards would not be expecting us atop the roof of the local inn, we relaxed and he began to introduce himself.
"I'm Torin," he began, holding his hand out to me. It seemed a gesture given too late - having already laid hands on me, already entered my personal space. He would not enter it again by my choice! After a moment, his arm dropped as he smirked at me.
"What are you doing here?"
"It's nice to meet you too. Well, if you insist," he sighed, "I've been following someone ... maybe something, and it's brought me here. In every town, there have been terrible murders, bodies left scattered in pieces or scraps hanging from trees and roofs. There aren't any witnesses for any of the murders, and in fact the townspeople act like they've just woken from a dream."
"So you're investigating it?" I asked, eyebrow cocked.
"You could say that," he chuckled. "We can't have anybody edging in on our business, now can we?"
My temper flared. "I am not a murderer!" I hissed, stepping aggressively towards him. "Any man I've killed had bought his way to hell long before." The amused look on his face melted into a sad understanding. "My name is Diana. My ... companion ... and I were just passing through. I've got my own quest that's brought me this way," I finished, noticing Torin's attention had shifted to the ground below.
I followed his gaze to the entrance of the inn, where a wide swath of blood peppered by armor painted the cobblestones and stairs leading to the door.
"We need to move. I need to get my gear and we need to leave. I have this feeling that this isn't coincidental," he insisted, again holding his hand out to me. This time I had no choice but to allow his touch as he grabbed me and leaped to the dirt. The smell on the ground made my stomach twist as the blood heated with the rising sun. Torin seemed to end his survey and focus on the door. His eyes had transformed from the red shade they had after his murder to a cooler gray. After a moment, I spoke up:
"What's wrong?"
"We'll see once we get inside. But I have this suspicion that he knows I'm here. He's found his way out, and it looks to me that he might try to use me as a scapegoat. In short, he's trying to pin his little spree on me," he explained. I stared into the dark doorway, hoping the dawn might lend some clue to what might wait within.
"Do you think he's inside?"
He shook his head and handed me a knife with a grim look. "I don't want to do this, but the moment I walk inside without you, he'll end up out here tearing you apart like those soldiers. And I'd never hear you scream, because you wouldn't get the chance. So take this, stay close, and don't hesitate to use it." I balanced the knife in my hand - rather heavier than I would have preferred, had we more time. But not the worst weapon to have in-hand, should push come to shove. I nodded and begrudgingly placed my hand on his arm to serve as a lifeline in the dark building, assuring him I could handle myself.
He looked down at me with a naked sadness in his now-gray eyes. I bristled at his implied pity, at the idea that I might not come out of the inn alive.
I grit my teeth and advanced.
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