Prelude
My name is Wuspin Ziltaosda, born in 145 and the town of Dashglosses in the Helpful Prairie.
My father once told me of a place in the mountains, a long lost Dwarven City of riches untold, brought down only by hell itself. I intend to go there.
I've been practiced in the arts of crossbowmanship and wrestling by my father, whom I regret to inform died a half-year ago.
25th Sandstone, 164.
Weather:
Clear skies, Western-sky sun. Gentle breeze blowing from the west.
Before I left town, I thought I’d take a wonder around and say goodbye to everyone... Nobody seemed to like me. Little Cemir Smomanifith ran straight past me without a second glance... Little git. Never liked him anyway.
Sushsath Ceruan the Farmer, a friend of mine was leaning against his doorframe, watching the sunrise with his hat low and cigarette burning lower still. He gave me a curt nod as I told him my plans, and continued to watch the sun. He never was one for conversation, I suppose.
As I made my way to the center of town, I decided to pop into the Rilstud Spibsaucim's store, he sells weapons by trade. The structure was soundly supported by the fact it was dug into the ground, with a staircase leading now... Pretty dark, though. Nethertheless, there was some fine items on show! A golden weapons, silver weapons, even a crossbow and bolts. I myself have no weapons or armour to speak of, other than my leather clothes.
I decided that my first target should be to buy a weapon, at least, before setting off. But where to get the money... I could either sell the skin of defeated animals, or steal.
My father once said to me that a mans hands are his forever, and each deed they commit stains them. I'm no philosopher, but I think I’ll avoid the guilt of theft.
So, I headed on over to the mayor to see if he had any tasks in need of accomplishment.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uja Belzanaquuv was a legendary spearmaster in the small dusty town. He had seen more action than even old Thruni Uceabe!
"I am speaking for the wayward coalition, thank you for your offer of service," he said. "Our people have been tormented by a fearsome foe. The Shaft of Growling is nearly a day's travel to the southeast. Seek this place and kill Utast Saviourjustice the Bristle of Syrups the Giant."
"Are you mad?!" Wuspin shouted "You want me to go charging into a Giant's cave, with my bare hands?!"
Uja simply smiled at him.
"Knowing no mercy, Utast stole our treasures and destroyed a collection of homes!"
It was true. Wuspin was but a child during that event, but remembered it vividly.
How could he forget? Among the three casualties, his sister had been one. How sweet it would be to see the light go out in Utat's eyes, as he saw his sister's own those many years ago.
Nethertheless, Wuspin was untrained in the ways of combat, and needed to practice.
With a new mission in his heart, one closer than the first, Wuspin went around town, speaking to all he had known during his upbringing to give him aid. Gust Oledcani, the Merchant Baroness simply waved him away, whilst guards laughed. Even the children laughed.
But then, Wuspin saw a figure darting back towards the Mayor's house. Wuspin recognised him immediately.
Seto Ceshshedulde, his father's friend. Seto had taught Wuspin how to handle a crossbow. Surely he would lend him aid. So off Wuspin ran, following Seto into the house and upstairs.
The crossbowman had started up a conversation, but smiled and called Wuspin over when he noticed him.
"Wuspin! Uja was just telling me of the mission to take down Utast. Is it true?"
Wuspin nodded eagerly.
"I have just followed you actually, in hopes to ask of just that. Would you help me?"
"Ha!" Seto laughed, "Such enthusiasm from one such as yourself."
Uja prodded Seto in the side, "Help the boy!"
"Help him? He is so little! He'd never be able to take down a Giant!"
Uja shook his head in dismay. "Your grandfather would be shamed."
"My grandfather died protecting this country!"
The two began a heated debate, seeming to focus on each other, Wuspin sighed and left the building, a guard stumbling past him indoors, laughing with a tankard of booze in his hand.
"So, I truly am alone on this," Wuspin said quietly to himself outside, the sun dipping beyond the eastern horizon, a gentle breeze seeming to be aiding in its descent.
"I'll show them. I'll prove myself a man. I'll kill Utat, I'll bring back her head, along with her entire stinking clan!"
With a fiery snort that a Devil would be proud of, Wuspin headed out of town and into the wilds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a day on the road, Wuspin saw a form ahead on the road, to whom he speedened his step towards.
"Wuspin?" The woman greeted. It was Ebbak Lemhuhfamo, the town guard. Oddly enough, she was also the wife of Uja, both of whom were nearly 100. Rumours say that she is a worshipper of the Black Dragon, Nawiri Scaldedscab.
Ebbak was the daughter of the Famous hunter, Tirin Mota, who shot and killed hundreds of creatures that threatened Dashglosses during darker times.
"Ebbak! What are you doing out here?"
"Patrolling the area. What of you? You are a long way out of Dashglosses." As if to accentuate her point, a morning gust blew past the two from the direction Wuspin had come from.
"Just training, I need to prove myself to Uja and Seto."
"Oh? Sounds like Seto is causing trouble again. Well, be careful. There's a Giant Flying Jellyfish in the area, I saw it earlier whilst on the tracks of another creature. When I looked back, it disappeared."
"Thanks, Ebbak. I'll keep my head down." Ebbak bowed, and disappeared gracefully into the brush.
For an 80 year old woman, her joints seemed well oiled and her senses sharp.
Wuspin shook his head and headed off down the road. Little did he know that Ebbak followed him for a couple of days, before returning home.
Three days later, Wuspin had reached the Dune of Roofs, a small desert west of the city of Shieldmaws. Wuspin decided that, without a crossbow, he should train in the art of Throwing.
So it was that Wuspin spent the entire day throwing sand at a Saguaro tree, aiming from quite a distance. He'd grab a handful of sand, spit at it, clump it into a ball, and toss.
The sun was low in the eastern sky, before he had to stop for rest. Darkness began to creep in, forcing the hard-worked boy to set up camp. As Wuspin settled to sleep in his tent, he couldn't help but smile and feel satisfied with his
talented ability to
Throw.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wuspin spent an entire month searching the grasslands, and couldn't find a single thing to practice his skills against. So, he turned north-east and headed into the mountains, where he was soon ambushed by a trio of harpies.
Wuspin sprinted away, but the three kept pace, each time they got close, Wuspin span around and launched a punch or a kick to their face, sending them sprawling backwards through the air. At one point, they had fallen behind far enough for Wuspin to pull out a handful of sand, spit in it, and throw it with all his might.
The ball of sand exploded in one of the Harpy's chests, sinking through their weak skin and collapsing her left lung - Wuspin got lucky. The Harpy dropped to the floor, gasping for breath, the other two coming on furiously.
The thrower released another ball of sand, striking a second harpy in the head, bruising its throat and ear.
He reached back into his pack, pulling forth a final handful, which exploded against the same harpy's thigh, but causing no real damage. The harpy on the floor began to crawl away whilst the remaining two closed in. Wuspin feigned fear and ran away from the harpies then pretended to trip to the floor. One harpy swooped in, whereas Wuspin kicked himself back to the floor, releasing an right-hand uppercut across her face, nearly breaking its neck.
Wuspin ran against to gain distance, the second harpy dazed on the floor, a third charging in still. Again, Wuspin reached out with a balled fist, striking the third's face, causing a sickening
crunch sound, but accidentally overstepping himself, tumbling forward into the harpy. Wuspin reached forward for support, grabbed the Harpy's thigh with his right hand, pinning her down, then took the opportunity to follow up with a balled left hand.
The three harpies were all dazed or dieing, Wuspin smiling to himself. He went to each and snapped their necks. One harpy remained, crawling pitifully towards the hills. Wuspin ran over and launched himself into the air, coming down with a left hook, snapping the bird-woman's neck.
Wuspin piled the three half-feathered and half-naked women into a pile and took the opportunity to gather throwable rocks into his bag. He then piled the harpies on his shoulders and headed home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uja's eyes surely opened when a bloody, muddy and very much wet boy of nineteen kicked open his door and tossed a trio of rotting bird-woman corpses on his floor.
"I see... You have returned," Uja mumbled and he came down the stairs slowly, his eyes on the disgusting females.
"I have, with a trio of defeated opponents."
"Could you not have simply cut off their heads for proof?"
Wuspin thought for a moment, then smiled. "I was hoping to bump into Seto and let him handle the stinking corpses for a while." To make his point, Wuspin turned over the top-most Harpy, revealing a maggot-infested hole in her chest, causing a choke of a cough from Uja.
"What madness has taken you, boy?"
At that moment, a knock came from the open door, a figure in the rain skipping inside to avoid getting further wet. Seto.
"I saw a hunched figure in the rain heading for this house from my window, I thought it a sort of monster," he explained. "But, my heart is gladdened to see you alive, young one. And with trophies, I see."
It was then a shrill scream was heard outside, the scream of a child. Seto ran outside, drawing his crossbow. Wuspin followed closely, Uja even closer, barefooted.
The three strained their ears against the tropical rainstorm, listening out for the child once more. Another shriek came forth, but more feral sounding. The men bolted into the brush, following the sound of the sickening crunches, cracks and blood-curdling shrieks.
the trees suddenly opened to a small field, where a child stood - a bloody lump at his feet.
"What?" Gasped Uja, echoing the thoughts of the others.
Wuspin went to the child to inspect his wounds, Seto going to the lump of gore, the rain matting the blood against the fur. He kicked it over slightly, revealing it's face.
"Macaque."
"I got a booboo!" Wailed the boy, barely five seasons old, holding up hand which had three bent-backward fingers. The men shook their head at the mystery, Seto returning the boy home, Wuspin and Uja returning to the Mayor's home.
I shit thee not.
Seto returned later than evening, to find a the main room filled with a number of the townspeople, the rain pounding hard still, and stood next to the roaring fire to dry himself off.
"So. When are you going to get rid of those disgusting trophies of yours?"
"I intend to sell them," Wuspin replied nonchalantly.
"Sell them? Who in their right minds would buy... that?"
Wuspin shrugged with a smile, "Everything is worth something to someone."
"Mayor Uja," started Gust Oledcani. "What are we to do about the Macaques?"
A number of the townspeople mumbled amongst themselves expectantly, Seto raised an eyebrow, directed at Uja, who simply sighed and sat back in his chair next to the fire.
"Do not worry about it. Macaques are always raiding towns for food."
"He bit little Anthath's fingers off!" Someone cried. "One came through my window!" Cried another. Baroness Oledcani herself had fought off two invaders.
Uja sat back with his eyes shut still, enjoying the warmth, as the arguments began to rise around him.
"What would you have me do?" Uja asked after a while. "Hunt them down? You peoples have already killed them."
That brought a sudden silence, which was nearly immediately broken by a handful of suggestions. "Hire more guards!" "Buy some hunting dogs!" "Build walls!", followed by a handful more, but that third had piqued Uja's interest.
It was a good idea, if not a fool's plan to ignore.
"Alright then. Tomorrow, we will begin construction of town defences." The mayor stood, casting a deathly silence around him. "I will need our Trader, Madame Oledcani to head to Shieldmaws and set up a deal with their traders to buy stone. I want two men to go with her."
A number of people called out to volunteer. Seto shook his head, smiling, knowing that they only wanted to go to avoid hauling and cutting rocks.
"I suggest our newest man of the town to go," Seto said calmly, yet causing another sudden usher. "Wuspin."
Wuspin's eyes went wide, and moreso when Seto suggested whom the second should be. Onec Arthatham. Onec was a female well-trained in the arts of the Axe, heading for her 33rd season.
A snort came forth, most likely her husband, Osplek. He disliked it when she was sent out of the town, fearing for her.
"A wise decision," Uja Conceded "I want you, Seto, to speak to me in the morning tomorrow about the plans. Now, everybody, the night gains shadows, and it is time for rest. I will see you tomorrow at midday at the town centre."
As everybody eventually left, The baroness and her two new loyal guards remained behind.
"I would also like you three to leave at sunrise, if you will. The sooner we get those rocks, the sooner we can begin, and put these baseless fears to rest." Uja climbed his stairs back to his bedroom.
Utast could wait.
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Topic: Wuspin Ziltaosda and the Streams of Silver (Read 1065 times)