Late into the night, when he was sure everyone was asleep, Maurus got up from the floor and quietly stepped out of the room into the hallway, closing the door silently. When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he saw Saura wiping down the bar. The crowd had changed from locals seeking dinner to the more rabble-rousing drinking crowd that was common at this late of an hour. Most of the people looked like they had seen better times, thieves, mercenaries, or worse inhabited the tables now. Saura saw Maurus out of the corner of her eyes and motioned for him to take a seat at the bar. “Hello, I did not think you would come back to talk to me. Your family seemed very private. By the way, my name is Saura, what is yours?” “My name is Maurus. My mother does not want me speaking to anyone, but I really wanted to talk to you.” He replied. “So, tell me, what brings you so far from your homeland? What is it like living out there? Do you fight monsters all of the time? What creatures live out there?” She asked. Maurus relayed the story about his home, the attack, the escape, and the arduous journey to the inn. She listened intently, her eyes wide in amazement as Maurus described the invasion by the undead creatures. Saura was a trained fighter, but she had never ventured out into the wild on her own, only on hunting trips with her father. She lived vicariously through the stories of adventure from others, but longed to go on one of her own so that one day she could be the one telling her stories, instead of listening to them from strangers.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
A claw tapped Maurus on his shoulder and as he turned around, Saura backed away from the bar and retreated to the kitchen. Maurus looked and saw his mother staring back at him with a scowl on her face. “Maurus! I told you not to leave the room, and yet here you are speaking with strangers. We do not want to bring unnecessary attention to ourselves. Get upstairs now!” She pulled him by the ear and directed him to the stairs, while following closely behind. Saura, saw the whole conversation transpire from the corner of the kitchen entry and felt even more interested in these lionmen and the wild tales of undead demons. The reptilian stranger dismissed his listening spell, and departed the inn, with the knowledge of his latest destination, Iron Town…
Death Knell Chronicles is a dark fantasy tale of survival, loss, and vengeance — told through the eyes of a young beastfolk warrior fighting to reclaim what was taken from him.
