David Bishop and the Mystic of Creation T.C. Crawford (icecream ebook reader txt) 📖

which Reingard and Holzer both nodded, conceding to Tyrius’ suggested route.

With them all finally in agreement and eager to get as far away from the town as possible, they set off into the countryside and rolling foothills of the mountains, traveling Northeast along their base.

They hiked for the remainder of the day before deciding to set up camp for the night as the sky began to darken with the setting sun.

Holzer went out to hunt for some food while the others prepared a small fire for light and warmth to get them through the night.

With the threat of the Guild still fresh on his mind, Tyrius decided it best to set up some traps and alarms in the event they had any intruders in the night, and set about his work, mumbling here and there as he circled the campsite just outside of the ring of light from the fire.

Erin and David prepared their bedrolls and listened to Reingard tell them tales of his youth, where he and Holzer had first met Rex and had determined right from the start that they would cause nothing but trouble together.

He told them of the time they had gotten into his father’s stash of ale and had discovered the joys - and potency - of his home brew before rambling around through the town aimlessly looking for young women to court.

Unfortunately for them, the ladies laughed them to scorn when they pointed out they had all pissed themselves and didn’t know it.

It was the last time they had decided to drink his father’s home brew, deciding it was far too strong for their liking.

When Reingard had finished his story and they all had their fair share of gut-wrenching laughter, Tyrius had already finished his alarms and began explaining that it would produce a loud whistle if anyone were to step through the boundaries, giving them ample time to react to the threat at hand.

In addition to the warning, he had established a barrier that would conceal their camp from view from any unfriendly prying eyes, making their location extremely difficult to find for anyone with the wrong intentions. One would have to be a very keen tracker to follow their footsteps into their camp in the dark of the night.

Shortly after Tyrius sat down, Holzer came back carrying a limp hare in each hand and began quickly preparing the catch for roasting over the fire.

While their food cooked, they sat and talked about the strange behavior of the townsfolk and the members of the Guild attacking them earlier that morning.

“I knew there was some hostility towards the Northern Kingdom after the South fell back in the war, but I never would have guessed that hostility would have endured this long or have grown into such hatred like that” said Holzer, recalling the look in the villager’s eyes.

“The Southern Kingdom had fallen over two decades ago. One would think that it would have recovered by now.” said Erin, agreeing with Holzer.

“I suspect that there is more to it than meets the eye,” said Tyrius, “This Guild has me wondering what kind of government would allow such a band of thugs to enact curfews on their own people. And who exactly was this leader they were going to bring us to anyway?” he asked.

“Who knows,” said Reingard, “What I do know is that Innkeeper was fine until he found out where we were from, and that he was scared of those men the night before, but the next morning in the streets, his fear of them seemed to disappear and be replaced by his hatred for us.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, recalling the Innkeeper’s strange behavior over the course of the night, and following morning.

“I would bet that it was him that went and told the Guild where we were from. I saw him run out of the building looking very angry after Tyrius handed him the coin for our meals and rooms” said David.

“That explains a lot,” said Tyrius, “and why they didn’t attack us the night before. They didn’t know we were from the Northern Kingdom yet. They must have just assumed we were from another village and weren’t aware of the curfew.” he said.

“Do you think we’ve seen the last of those guys?” asked David, hopeful but uncertain.

“Something tells me that it’s unlikely. But if we can keep to the hills and remain hidden like Tyrius suggested, we may be able to get enough distance between us and them that they give up and don’t bother pursuing us.” said Reingard.

“I hope you’re right…” said David, looking into the fire. “I have a feeling this Guild is a bigger operation than just a handful of inexperienced men. If they get riled up, I’m afraid of what might come our way.”

With that, everyone nodded and became lost in their own thoughts and worries until the food was finally ready. They each had their fair share of roasted meat before calling it a night. Tyrius, as usual, elected for the first watch, to which the others happily agreed, eager to get some rest while their bellies were full.

Chapter IX

Jakob Zander was in his mid-twenties with dark skin and jet-black hair that was perpetually dusty and disheveled. His skin was covered in scars from years of tribal combat that earned him the right to lead the northern Guild that overlooked the region spanning from Ashmire, down the rolling foothills to the South, and ending at the coastal city of Brineport.

He was kneeled before the commander of the Southern Wolf Guard, a wolf of incredible strength and stature, even for their kind. His name was Bloodvayne.

The Wolf Guard had fled from the Northern Kingdom after the War of the Mystics had ended ushering in the dawn of the Second Age. They eventually found their way to the Southern Kingdom where they watched from the Lowlands as the kingdom slowly unraveled under the brutal dictatorship of the King, Germone Krauss. They sat back watching and