The Adventures of Alcore

[Xenar1]

(Short story of a Paladin, which might not be so short after awhile. Will update as i can. One of my great reads of my youth was the sisterhood of the travelling pants. In creative hommage to their works i will identify when i switch persons.

Please enjoy.)




[Alcore]

I threw open the doors to the chapel with both hands, letting the light of the sun filter into the dark room. One of the priests behind me ‘tisked’ but his contempt for my lack of proper form and supposed disrespect went unneeded; the sheer weight of the doors prevented them from slamming into the walls. Onward I walked into the room my plated boots echoed loudly with each step.

My companions could not be readily heard. They did not wear heavy boots like I did, they wore sandals. They were not incased in armor like I was, humble brown robes was it. They didn’t even have weapons like I did. For tonight’s event they had a dagger apiece forged from silver. For tonight I wanted to shake my head in shame for if tonight went badly in the morning I, alone, would be back here. Though the daggers would be greatly useful for their material.

I passed by all the empty pews and knelt before the alter, a hand grasping a book gleamed in the evening sun. Drawing my sword I set it in front of me and gazed at the effigy to my god. “Dauros be praised.” I intoned softly.

“Brother Alcore, the Codex does not condone a break from tradition. We must prepare the chapel before prayer can begin.” Even as the monk behind him spoke I could hear the others behind me readying the chapel, lighting fires, a light dusting that sort of thing.

I couldn’t help but grimace at the admonishment. I felt they were wrong, it was useless to argue but I did so anyways. “Sunset will be upon us in a few last minutes. People will die if we take an hour to prepare and do rituals. If we set out now we might save a life before the fiend strikes again!”

“The Codex says to prepare the temple, to rally the people and their hearts, before a hunt.” The voice behind me said sternly.

I rose to my feet, the metal joints in my plate mail clanking loudly, and turned to Brother David. ”my heart is rallied already brother. It was when I entered. I go now to do what must be done.”

”Amen.” said Brother David. With a quick flourish of his hands made the proper gestures to go with those words.

I strode past him out in the open air. The sun had finished it’s decent and the sky was filled with yellows, reds and hints of orange. The village could be seen in the distance at the foot of the hills surrounded largely by pine trees, it looked so peaceful for a village being hunted. After taking a moment to enjoy the scenery I studied the clouds more carefully. Cloud cover looked lightest on the northern edge of the sky; good.

My destination noted I walked down the path that would eventually take me into town. From there it would be as simple to take the northern path out of the village. On my walk I passed a number of people heading up to the chapel all of them were armed but it was a variety of farm tools with the occasional honest weapon. A few even had armor that hasn’t seen a smith in ages. Next to them I might as well have been a god of war with my plate mail armor covering me from head to toe and my broad sword whose scabbard occasionally touched the ground from where it hanged from my belt.

As I passed by the village’s only inn I was greeted by a voice. “Hey Bronze Beard! You old dog, aren’t waiting with the other dandy boys up the hill?”

I answered even as a turned with a big smile on my face, that couldn’t be seen. “Nah, felt like drinking a mead or two, grabbing a woman and finish the night with a brand new pelt!”

That brought a chorus of laughter from the group of people waiting by out in the Inn’s front porch. It was a mismatched group covered in furs and armor and each had two visible weapons. The lead man, who had spoken, looked like some bandit with rough matted black hair and a small beard. Around him was three others, a real big man wielding an axe and two women. Beside them off to the side was a pair of soldiers their armor well maintained, if old, sporting the typical spear, shield and short sword. They had smiles on their faces but had a relaxed stance and kept an eye on their surroundings. The only one I knew personally was Thogrom.

“Told you Alcore wouldn’t sit in their waiting. ‘Never wait for death’ as they say. You’ll be needing some help I hear?” Said the lead man as the group walked over to me.

“Aye, Thogrom, I’ll take what help I can before the farmers get out there into the wild.” I replied.

“Hear that lads? We are going to hunt a werewolf!” Thogrom may have said it as a joke but no one, not even Thogrom, took it as one. There was some shuffling of feet, glancing to the sides and tense grips on weapons. I looked at each one of them, trying to see their faces better, trying to measure each one of them up. They were afraid, and rightly so, but a fire burned in their eyes. Five people have died in the last month and they wanted to put an end to it.

I nodded. “Indeed we are. Take courage and keep your head about you and no one will need to die tonight from the beast. Tonight we hunt to protect our kinsmen. We will not fail.”

One of the soldiers stepped forward. “Excuse me Sir Alcore but we have no silver between use. It won’t be that easy to kill a werewolf without silver.”

I ignored the misplaced horrific and gestured to my back pack. “Indeed!" I said merrily. "I have what you need. Come, the Inn should have a fire going and I’ll need it for a moment. Then, we do something really stupid.”  

[Xenar1]

While there were many confused faces no one questioned me as we marched into the inn. It was there that, as we were walking towards the hearth, that a question was asked. It was not the one I was expecting but it brought a smile to my face.

“We are not really buying mead are we?” it sounded like the soldier from before.

“Nah. Beer burns better.” Thogrom replied.

“Really?” said the soldier again.

“Aye, it does. Me uncle once found out da hard way. His arm hair ‘ever grew da same.” Replied a deep voice off to my left.

“Help me with my pack.” I said looking at Thogrom who stepped over to help. “See way back when an alchemist of the Order created something to apply alloys to weapons when fighting… unique creatures.” I explained as I rummaged through my pack. I pulled out a small set of vials of what appeared to be silvery metal shavings. “This is called a weapon blanch. Apply it with heat to a weapon and it coats the weapon. Doesn’t last terribly long but it will turn our weapons to silver. Who’s first?”

I had no shortage of volunteers or curious onlookers watching the process. Once at least one weapon per person was silvered we left to hunt a werewolf. We marched out of the village. Right now the priests back at the chapel would be wrapping up the ceremony before moving on to turn them into an unruly mob. There would be torches and pitchforks and many bodies should they corner the beast.




***** a short time later




The night was cool with a light wind. The sky was clear, the moon shining just over the treetops. Beside me stood a half dozen brave men and woman ready, physically, to defend their homes and bring down a beast. The crickets and owls were chirping in the darkness beyond the torch light. The noise was both comforting and dreadful in equal measure; our quarry wasn’t here, it was someplace else.

I straightened and drew one last steadying breath. “Well, it’s time. Who would like the honors of the first call?”

When I turned around I was greeted with a few confused stares but Thogrom had a smile on. He turned to the larger man beside him. “Hrongar a simple wolf call please.”

Hrongar returned the grinned and set his axe against his leg. He brought both hands up to his mouth and let out a long call. His deeper voice made the sound come from a large wolf. I was surprised at how smooth the sound was. I turned back to the forest and waiting.

Off to his right someplace a loud long voice returned the call. I pointed towards the sound. “That way.”

I didn’t manage to get more than three steps before a voice pipped up behind me. “So that’s it then? Call out and the werewolf answers?”

I giggled, not because the question was funny but that I had asked that vary question so many years ago, and kept walking. I squinted into the darkness beyond the torchlight behind me and wished it was a tad brighter. It was a wish I usually made in times like this. The Order always talked of fighting the darkness and showing no fear but that didn’t prepare the new acolytes to what they faced.

“Aye, we call and it answers; at first.” Thogrom answered. “It’s simple really. Despite our numbers, our weapons and even our armor we are still the hunted. Not the hunter as the Order would have you believe. We are the bait.”

“They are right. Humanity needs to band together. We can’t stand alone against the darkness and the monsters within.” I called over my shoulder. I stomped through the underbrush of some poorly maintained trail. Despite my skulking stance hiding was pointless, the beast would find us anyways. The point was for him to find us.

“They haven’t done a good job of it. Sending farmers out to do the job of warriors.” Thogrom replied, his voice dripping with scorn.

I nodded. It was true but that wasn’t the whole truth. As I tried to put my thoughts into words I listened to the sound of crickets. “They are doing much better. The lands around High Varcomb have never been safer and a hear tales of an academy being built to train warriors of the light more efficiently.”

“Fat use it does us now. I wish ta be back at me home sleeping b’fore another day of fellin’ trees.” Remarked Hrongar. A few others muttered agreement and continued talking in hushed tones.

I took a single step hearing the crunch of a twig below my foot. I paused for a moment and tried to hear anything else. Nothing but us, no crickets, no owls or anything else that moves in the night. I drew my sword out, admiring the light coating of silver on the edge as it gleamed in the light. I felt no fear of what was to come, indeed a calmness was all I felt. Grasping my sword in two hands I kept walking keenly aware that the people behind me got deathly quiet. I could still hear them walking behind me so I wasn’t too worried for them.

“Is it here?” Asked a hushed female voice, as if being quiet while holding a torch would make her invisible or something.

“Something is here with us. Keep your eyes sharp and your breathing steady.”I replied and kept walking down the trail.

We continued in relative silence down the path. Each twig snap and rustle of leaves was accompanied by quick glances and torch waving even if we made the noise ourselves. This was the hardest part; waiting for the beast. Every once in a while a large animal could be heard moving around off to our left and right but no one dared to go investigate.

At last we came to a fork in the path. It was a well maintained road that ran between all the villages and towns in the East Marches. It was ten feet wide dirt road lines with rocks and the occasional small boulder. The path off to my right lead downhill towards where the village ought to be and to my left the road kept going uphill over the hill. Illuminated by moonlight it was a foreboding looking path. Being illuminated as it was it would be harder to lure it out.

Apparently I waited in indecision too long for Thogrom walked up to my side. “Problem?” he asked, his voice unusually loud in the quiet.

“Can’t decide which way to go. That way leads to the village but what can be found the other way? Any farmsteads or game trails?” I replied pointing to the left.

“A bit of both. A few farms can be found but they are an hour’s walk or more away from the village. There is another game trail on the other side of the hill.”

”hmmm.” I looked to the right and left. Both ways led to people. The way to the left had a better chance of getting the beast to ambush us but the people around us would have less protection. Going back the way we came would eventually confuse it and it might leave. I heaved a heavy sigh.