Chapter 2
Two years later.
The bar was filled with regular customers, mostly farm hands who had finished up the last of the harvest before winter. They roamed and slammed coins on the table raising their hands for more alcohol, mainly Swillbrew, a nasty cheap drink common amongst the farmers because it cost so little.
"Seran! Give me some more Swillbrew, and a shot of Hearthfire!" The man yelled at Sara.
He was a regular customer, a heavy set man, he owned most of the farmland in the region. He dropped the copper pieces on the table, and slid one silver for the Hearthfire. Hearthfire was a spicy local brew, usually served warm. Sara hated it, but they hated most of the local beverages which so happened to be the only ones they have drank.
Moving and gliding through the crowd of people, dodging and ducking around the arms being thrown and the hands raised; all while balancing the drinks in their hands. Sara sat the mugs and shot glasses down, "remember, if you break another table i'm cutting you off for a week." Sara told the heavy set man who snorted and laughed like a pig.
Shifting back through the crowd and sliding around the counter they slammed their head against the bar counter with a thud. It had been two years, two miserable years of working day in and day out. The only brakes they got was when they went on the deliveries with Lee, but even then it was technically still working.
"Why so down?" Tella, Saras mentor and boss, asked pushing themselves up and over the bar counter. They were blond, emerald eyes, and paler skin. They came to town three years ago, having been on the run from the old thieves guild. She made a good name for herself, especially taking over the tavern.
"Oh nothing." Sara retorted, their voice had smoothened out and deepened since they began working there. Although, yelling over the noise of drunken men really worked the vocal cords.
"Why don't you go take the rest of the day off, you got the delivery too soon don't you?" Tella asked, Sara glanced over at her before ripping the beer stained apron off of their body. "Sure do!" They shouted jumping over the bar counter and went outside.
The air was brisk, the winter was setting in and it was moving in fast. There wouldn't be too many deliveries left after this one. Once the winter snow started they were left with no passage through, the snow made it impossible.
Standing out there rubbing their arms Sara took a long deep breath and sighed looking up at the cloudy winter sky. "If you Gods exist out there, you better tip better then these bastards." Sara snarled before putting on their cloak and began towards the stable where they kept the cart.
+++++
Lifting a hammer and slamming it down, Lee grunted with each bellow to the red hot scythe he was reforming. With winter setting in, they spent the biggest part of the cold months preparing the farming tools. This kept them from working so hard in the heat during summer, but it helped the farmers jump into action faster.
Lee was never truly praised for his work, he built some body strength in the last two years, his muscles more toned from all the heavy lifting. However, due to the lack of food and scarceness of rations that they lived on he couldn't grow too much muscle.
Lee lifted the hammer up again slamming it down with a grunt. It was mundane tasks, it was the same in and same out, very rarely did a traveler pass by wanting a blade sharpened or a new weapon forged from scratch. When they did though, Garrick Ironheart was the one requested to make it.
Garrick was a simple blacksmith who use to be an old adventurer, he had been born and raised in the town and retired in the town to open a blacksmith before Lee had been born into the new world. "Better swinging a sword you'd be then with that hammering you got going on there." His words were blunt, but he always claimed that Lee wasn't a good blacksmith.
Lee grew use to it, he grumbled and muttered under his breath all the time. "I'll show you a sword swing you old fart." He said with annoyed grumbles, his arms continued swinging until the sound of a bell chimed echoing through the entire town. It was the top of the hour, which meant Lee was finished with the work he was doing.
Making his way from the blacksmith, black charcoal on his palms, and soot on his jeans, his eyes looked weary from the manual labor. While Sara wore some pants, a black vest, and a cloak. Lee wore baggy work jeans, a muscle shirt, and kept a pair of heavy heat resistant gloves in his back pocket. The two looked like complete opposites, but part of them worked in a field they mentally were able to maintain.
"How did you get here so early?" Lee asked, seeing Sara having the cart loaded and already relaxing in the back of it.
"I got off early, so I got everything set up for us to go."
"Set up for me to go, you mean?"
"I'M going WITH." Sara retorted, narrowing their eyes.
"I'm pulling it though."
"Your use of manor labor."
"I'm not a horse!" Lee shouted, his fingers going around the wooden bars and lifted it on his shoulders, beginning to pull it through town.
"I know, horses don't complain!"
The whispers and chuckles softly echoed around the people they passed, 'There goes the loud ones, if they don't deliver it. They will talk it to death.' They had become well known in the village, having taken on the duties of doing supply runs to the local villages every day or two.
This opened up more goods, more possibilities, but it also made the town slightly more prosperous at the same time having more they could sell.
The trip wasn't long, it was just tedious at least for Sara. For Lee it was a grueling 30 minute walk all the way there having to pull the crates of goods and seeds with Sara on top.
"Your night light you know!"
"You calling me fat?"
"NO i'm saying you're a GROWN ADULT!"
"MUSH MUSH! Whipsh, Whipsh." Sara shouted making fake whipping noises, this made Lee growl and mumble insults under his breath.
With the long track finished, and then finally putting the cart back in the stable. They made their way back home, 30 minutes to the town, 30 minutes back and a 10 minute walk back to their property left them tired after a day of working. While Lee was always more exhausted, it was a burden he had chosen to carry. One that Sara had appreciated even if in secret.
The grand oak tree, it was a royal palace for two orphans, it was the largest tree in the forest by miles. The hole to get in was merely 2 feet wide and 3 feet tall leaving little space, the inside of it was much bigger. The hollowed inside was 10 feet circumference, with a 25 foot height. They used a double hammock to sleep in, and they added another platform that they could climb up too for storage.
They also had cut a hole out and used some old parts to form a small stove, it wasn't the best and it was dangerous but they had become decent at using it without fear. Lee slid through the hole and dropped on top of his hammock hanging up high and closing his eyes.
Sara slid in, climbing up the ladder that the hammocks were hidden behind, they got to the storage space and slid out some dried meats and potatoes. Sara had decided to cook, since Lee was the one to always carry the cart.
The truth was, they were supposed to take turns carrying the cart, however the two years they have owned it Lee refused to let Sara pull it. In doing so, Sara made up by cooking. However, Sara loved cooking so it wasn't a fair trade off and they knew it.
Lee was half asleep in the hammock, the soft swinging of it rocking him to a slumber. They discussed how the tree felt like home to them, how it felt like a living entity with a heart beat. One touch of the bark and it was a soothing peace that washed over them. Like it had called to them all their life, perhaps it was because they had been playing in the tree all their life.
"I'll have dinner done shortly."
"No worries. I'm just resting my eyes."
"Really, I thought you were praying."
"Yeah, praying to the all mighty tree God."
"Pft, is the offering of the tree God walnuts?"
"Walnuts and leaves."
The two smirked at each other before they went back to what they were doing. They didn't speak much, both of them using the time for themselves to mentally recharge for the following day of more socializing.
With the fire warming the tree, Lee eating a few warm boiled potatoes and chewing on meat while not opening his eyes or getting out of the hammock, Sara read an old book laying in their hammock. The world slowly faded into darkness falling asleep for the night.
— — — — — —
Lee began packing up the cart the following day, they had another delivery and from the looks of the weather it was their last one. The brisk wind on his skin left him with chills, lifting the crates and tossing them into the cart.
Sara was on the other side collecting the money and writing out the instructions of where the delivery was and who it was for. Within an hour of being awake, they were off for the delivery. Thankfully, they were both off work meaning once the delivery was done they could go home and have a day of peace.
"Garin ran into me the other day," Lee said. Garin Flint was an old childhood rival of Lee's. They spent most of their time in fights and trying to out best the other one. They weren't the smartest of people but that was pretty typical for someone who thought knowledge was for the weak.
"What did he want?"
"To brag about how he was, and I quote, 'chosen to be a warrior for a big shot noble.'"
"Oh man, looks like he one upped you this time."
"I'll get him back, I'm not sure how too yet, but im sure Ill-" Lee paused, stopping dead in his tracks. His head turned towards the woods where the leaves had all fallen. Sara's head turned looking to see a small, stone hut. Vines creeping up the side of it, the roof caved in.
"What?" Sara asked as Lee sat the cart down.
"That's new."
"Probably not new, maybe we just didn't see it. We don't deliver this time of winter usually."
"Well, let's check it out." Lee spoke and began walking before Sara had a moment to even begin to debate on why they shouldn't. However, Sara didn't have a reason not too either. Hoping off the cart they quickly followed Lee into the building.
Inside was like an old home, there was the dim light from the hole in the ceiling illuminating the old mossy stone of the building. The wooden floorboards creaked, oddly feeling like little support was under them. While most choked it up to a basement, the building only had one room and it was the one they were standing in.
Lee ran his fingers across the old stone wall examining and taking in the mere sight of the abandoned house.
Sara approached the table, where they found a small letter, lifting it up they skimmed it. It seemed like a diary entry of some sort, 'her statue was stolen.' but the date and everything else couldn't be made out from the wet smudges of nature.
Turning to walk away, the ground snapped. Lee's head snapped around to Sara who could feel the floorboards beginning to give away under them. With a leap of all his might, Lee wrapped his arms around Sara just as the floor shattered under them.
Their bodies slammed into the cold stone of what felt like a statue laying on its back. "Fuck that hurt!" Lee winced feeling the stone digging into his back. Sara panted pushing up off him.
Slowly rolling to his feet Lee held his back, glancing back it dawned on him. It wasn't a statue he landed on but a coffin with a stone figure on the lid. Lee took a sharp breath in and patted the stone figure's face, "sorry bud." He said with a wince of pain still.
Sara held their hips, their eyes began scanning around the room. Slowly they began adjusting to the darkness. The hole in the ceiling that they caused, was the only shimmer of light in the entire dungeon.
Lee's eyes caught the light beam, it slowly struck an object on the coffin. His eyebrow raised, a shimmer glistened like it was out of place. "Hey, look at this," he called out. Sara turned with curiosity.
Both of them approached the object, almost simultaneously reaching for it. They did it without thought, it was pure instinct. Their fingers touched the artifact, the runic symbols etched deeply into it. However, the edges were cracked and shattered off, as if from something bigger.
The artifact erupted a bright bluish hue of color, the force pressing against them. Their bodies lifted from the ground and slammed hard into the walls behind them. It felt like their bones were being squeezed, the pressure building against them before they finally dropped.
Hitting the ground wheezing, Lee slowly rolled trying to get to his feet. "Sara, Sara are you okay?" His words came out choked, his windpipes feeling like they were being squeezed ever so softly.
"Yeah, fine, give me a minute."
His eyes looked up, meeting a stone statue carved into the wall. His entire body went still, it felt like a brick struck him in the head. "Orian," his voice weekly said out loud. Standing in statue form was the man, or the beast, that had eradicated their family.
Sara slowly got to her feet, the glistening light from the artifact evaporating helping them see clearer. Around the room were carved statues, there were ten fully constructed ones, and one that was broken from the knees up and missing.
Sara turned, hand on their head, stumbling too where Lee stood. As they approached, they also noticed what he had noticed. However, the door just right of them began creaking. Sara pushed Lee into the gaps around the statue to hide, Sara got in behind the one beside him holding their breath.
The chamber door opened, and in walked the one and only Aurelian Thorne. Aurelian Thorne was the chosen one. His name was past down from legends told ages ago, he was not only born into nobility, but one of the strongest people to ever exist.
He walked with confidence. His shaggy black hair just above the piercing auburn hue of his eyes. He wore armor on the left shoulder of his, a tower shield attached to his left arm. His buster sword firmly strapped to his back, ready for his right hand to pull it out. He had on black tshirt, not needing armor for the rest of his body.
He approached the coffin, his head twisting looking it up and down. Slowly glancing around the room and rubbing his head scratching the shaggy hair. "Nothing…," he said with a hint of confusion. Turning he pushed the coffin lid open, the welching sound echoing the chamber from the scent.
"Nothing," he said, sliding the lid closed. Turning the man left the chamber and the door slammed shut.
Lee and Sara both stepped out from behind the statues. There was a horrid realization across their faces as the artifact they held began to evaporate into dust. Yet, they remained silent.
Helping each other out of the hole, afraid to try the chamber doors, they made it to their cart. The silence was loud, the walk to the village not a word was spoken.
The slow, mundane task and deliveries made, only speaking when spoken too. Their voices were whimpers, fearful, an omen inside of their stomachs.
It wasn't until the walk back, they finally broke down. Lee was the one to speak first, his eyes glued on the road as he did.
"Did…we steal from the chosen one?"
"Define steal?"
"The thing that isn't ours is now ours."
"Yes. Well..No."
"No?"
"It turned to ash, so technically it isn't ours either."
Lee turned towards Sara, he raised a finger when his body tensed up. Their eyes didn't blink, they didn't move, they froze while time continued. Their senses slowly faded, like death consuming them once more.
The black void overtook them. However, there was no voice and they didn't see thei
r own bodies. There was nothing but darkness.
Tick, tick, tick,
System activated
Co-op mode engaged
Updating
Updating
System update complete
Welcome Player 1 and Player 2