A Land Far Away

It was a sunny afternoon in Waterdeep. Spring... Birds chirped, squirrels jumped from tree to tree, kids were running around and playing in the streets. Spring... Only people who have experienced real winter can ever appreciate it. It's not even the warmth. Its' the smell... There's this smell in the air. Even if it is the dead of the winter, sometimes you get the smell. And you know - spring is coming!

Ailin O'Nasis was sitting outside his store, with couple of his closest friends. They had drinks in their hands, and more by their feet. It wasn't quite enough to qualify as a party, but more than what you would see on an average Friday. The men drank, laughed and smoked their pipes...

There were some screams coming from inside the house, and the gathered clapped Ailin on his back, offered him another drink. Soon, you'll be a father...

Ailin sipped on his drink and prayed quietly. Please, make it a boy... I do not want the things that come with bringing up a girl... i don't want to be scaring off suitors, paying for a wedding, watch my little girl to grow into a woman... Please.. make it a boy....

The door swung open. The nurse stood in it alike a war chieftain. Ailin!

Color drained from Ailins face. What? What?

He ran towards the house only to bump into the nurse. She was a woman of some measure... Standing at near six feet and three hundred pounds, she was probably better suited to handle an orc than a father in waiting. Slow down, Ailin! It's all right.... You're a father now..

Ailin was whimpering. Is it a daughter? Gods, why you must be so cruel!

The nurse grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and almost lifted him off the ground. Shut up! You have sons....

Sons? what do you mean?

The gods have blessed you! You have twin boys!

Boys? Twins? Ailin ran off toward his seat, picked up a bottle of whatever liquor it was and drank.

should be an interesting tale! I await more:)

Kaleb knelt next to a man. Two bolts protruded from his midsection, and blood was spurting from the wounds.

"easy... take it easy... "

The legs of the man jerked around violently, as more blood was spurting up. Kaleb looked down and shook his head.

Kaleb detested violence. He was never the stronger kid. Some big, fat bully would smack him in the head every time an argument arose. He preferred more subtle actions. Like slipping a piece of really rotten meat into that fat kids lunch. And covering it up wit sauce. Or taking his lunch coopers, while he was beating up someone else...

"for the sake of all gods, mate... who was it? just tell me.. who?"

More scenes of childhood floated in Kaleb's mind. And it was always two of them. Two boys, who could not be told, or torn apart. They could even fool their own mother sometimes. Not often, but it did happen.

"who!?"

Kaleb felt void in his heart. He should have been happy. He had good friends, more coin to spend than he would have thought possible, and a woman with long blond hair and boobs that made him pinch himself every time he saw her, that bedded him whenever he liked. Perfect life, right?

"the man who cleans sewer? big mustache?"

Kaleb nodded. He looked around. He could hear the chatter of Elleia and the bardess as they were chatting up to distract the guards. He felt eyes of his other two companions on him. No one else....

"thank you...."

Kaleb looked around again and leaned down. Short while later the legs of the man jerked furiously, then slowed. Kaleb frowned as he smelled shit.

"why do they always shit themselves before dying...."

He took the hand off of the mans mouth. He looked down at the lifeless body ... Fuck you buddy.. You were involved in making me half the man.... and now you are dead...

Kaleb stood up and kicked the dead man in the head, one more time for a good measure. Then he dumped him in the crate the mans brother was deposited after the initial fight.

He changed his blood soaked cloak for another, and walked off in the early morning twilight...

Really enjoying this. Keep it coming.

Caleb and Kaleb looked at each other, smiled and walked into one of the most expensive clothing shops in Waterdeep. While they by no means were of poor upbringing, they still didn't fit in. This was a place where the wealthy shopped, wealthy in the full meaning of the word. Two young men, who barely were not boys any more, simply looked out of place...

After some dubious looks from the shopkeep, and a while spent trying on different hats, they both finally agreed on a burgundy red pair of hats with wide sides, black silk lining and exotic feathers. The price? They didn't care about the price... This was their present to themselves on the most important day of their lives. So far... They were finally leaving Waterdeep and the dismal prospects of running their father business of trade up north. Neither of the two young men wanted any part of it, and today they had decided. Screw the family business! We'll become adventurers, rich and famous beyond the wildest dreams!

***

Kaleb lifted up his head, which was pounding with a hangover headache he didn't know you could have. The first thing that hit his senses was the stench... Why the fuck am i asleep in an outhouse, was the first thought... He slowly opened his eyes. He was not in the outhouse, as a matter of fact he was outside. In one hand he was gripping the neck of a bottle of cheap whiskey, and in the other was something.... unfamiliar. Felt like flesh, but cold and rigid... Kaleb threw up.

Pieces of the day before started coming back to him. Walk through the woods with the north ranger, excitement of killing his first goblin... The long walk on the tradeway.... And a sight of a naked man propped up against the rock just past the Lions Way... At first he laughed, figuring it to be the stupidest way to end your life. Naked, gutted and on display to all... It was the rangers abrupt "What in the fucking hells is going on here!?" that brought him back in focus. No... It couldn't be... NO!

Kaleb wiped his mouth and stood up. He looked to the ranger and whispered: "Not a word to a soul on how we found him. Please...." And with that he started to disrobe... It took the effort of both of them to get the naked body dressed in Kalebs clothing, and shove the innards in. Innards... they were puffed up and in a state that most men would not touch if paid well. After some effort, the body was looking half way presentable. Kaleb handed his coin pouch to the ranger and asked him to go get the undertaker.

A tear rolled down Kalebs cheek as the body was placed in a simple wooden box. The undertaker, obviously in a hurry to get the simple burial over, started nailing down the cover.

Wait!

Kaleb pulled out his dagger and pried the couple nails loose to remove the cover. He looked at the ash grey face frozen in a grimace of terror... Brother... You will need this more than me. And with that he took off his hat and placed it over the face of the deceased.

There will be blood spilled, heads detached and fingers broken... I can not tell you when, brother, but there will be! Will be! Kaleb knelt down and simply cried...

Wow, really enjoying this story. good read, can't wait for more.

Dark... There was not even a hope that there could be light... Kaleb wasn't sure if his eyes are open or closed. As a mater of fact he wasn't sure of much. He couldn't feel anything. He was just floating in black nothing... No, wait! There was something! Far off in the distance there was a red dot. Like a small, glowing ember in the fireplace far, far away... Which oddly was getting closer....

*************

Kaleb was moving quietly on the high ridge of the coast, looking down at the beach. Far below he could see a group of kobolds standing over a couple dead men and their belongings in a form a of a large, well made chest. Obviously a merchant and his men, Kaleb thought. Further out off the coast he could see a small ship, wrecked on the rocks. My lucky day, he thought. A small group of kobolds, easy pickings. They will never know what hit them, and I'll be counting coins back in tavern... He started to make his way around and down from the cliffs towards the group.

************

Still dark.... The red light out in distance was still getting closer, however, it now had split into two dots. Kaleb was puzzled by it. What could it possibly be? Furthermore, where was he? He had seen a dark, moonless nights when you can't see anything, but even then after a while eyes would get used to darkness, and he could make out most everything. Not tonight... Just dark. Black, warm, sticky darkness... And two red dots rapidly approaching...

***********

Kaleb had made his way down to the beach. Kobolds were happily yapping and trying to open the chest in a rather futile attempt. The chest was well made, iron reinforced, and by the sight of it unbreakable. The lock looked intimidating as well, even to Kaleb. This will take some effort, but, as with all such things, it's likely worth a kings ransom. Kaleb smiled, and quietly made his way forth. He observed the kobolds, and picked out the clear leader. The little whelp was wearing leather armor, holding a mace and pointing with it, to direct his underlings. Kaleb chuckled to himself. The kobold had no idea of what was about to happen...

***********

The red dots were still getting closer... Kaleb noticed something else odd about his current predicament. At first he thought it was surf. But the sound of surf varies. This was overpowering sound off... Wait... That's it! It's silence... Silence so utter, that it produces an illusion of sound. Kaleb wasn't sure what to think. He simply accepted the reality of his situation and focused on the only thing that he could -- the two red dots. As they were getting closer and closer, the sound of silence changed to something resembling a heartbeat...

***********

Kaleb thrust his blade into the back of the kobold leaders neck. The critter dropped down instantly, without even making a noise. The rest of the merry band was busy with the chest, and didn't even notice the demise of their leader. Kaleb quickly glanced around and stepped forward, repeating the thrust of the blade on one of the kobolds poking at the chest. He also dropped instantly with no sound, however, this time his comrades took notice. They surrounded Kaleb, and kept in a futile fashion try to hit him with their crude weapons, as Kaleb was putting on a display of evasion and quick stabs at his opponents.

***********

Sound of the heartbeat was growing louder and louder. The two red dots, which initially seemed to just float towards Kaleb, now seemed to bounce up and down as they closed in. It was getting close to the time when he would get an answer... Sudden stench hit his nostrils. He had smelled it before... It was the smell of death...

**********

Kobolds were not doing too good... About half of them were already stretched out on the sandy beach, blood slowly seeping from the puncture wounds left by Kalebs rapier. Kaleb was actually enjoying this.. It felt like fencing lessons back in Waterdeep, except the moment when blade felt some resistance but continued forth. Kobolds.... Whatever... Kaleb danced in the midst of them, his rapier swinging swiftly... Suddenly there was a jolt of pain in his leg... You little fucker! He swung around but to his surprise there was no kobold behind him. It was a spider, size of a household cat. Kaleb swiftly screwed him, and returned his attention to kobolds...

***********

The stench of death was becoming unbearable. Heartbeat was getting louder as well...


***********

Kaleb swung his blade in what should have been a perfect stab at the kobold, but fell short... Odd, he thought. I would never miss this. Simplest move in the book. Suddenly his stomach turned inside out and Kaleb fell to his knee. A violent convulsion, followed by vomit and lightheadedness... He felt couple hits by clubs land on his back but had no strength to stand up. Sharp pain in his abdomen, then he felt his head being violently bent sideways.... Dark......

***********

Teeth... Now Kaleb could see teeth as well... The two red dots were eyes, which now were in touching distance from Kaleb. They actually emitted low light, in which Kaleb could see a jet black wolf like creature. It smelled of death... Kaleb knew what it was... The demon wolf born of a human woman through a ritual performed by Herne... He was the one who let it happen by choosing the vengeance for his brother above the coming of obvious abomination...

Wolf spoke in a voice that sounded like thousand of voices layered on top of each other. Do you want to live, Kaleb?

http://youtu.be/Mz1K8OvitT0 *quite fitting....