On a misty morning, a stranger appeared in the land of Dion.
Stepping lightly, almost cat-like, he stepped down from the bridge and onto the road.
He moved slowly, but you could almost feel him running from something.
At the same time, near the bridge, a master dwarf was in the middle of his idle worries.
The kind we all have.
Everyday worries.
The dwarf felt someone approach him. He didn't hear or see it, he just felt it. But he somehow knew that he felt it, only because the presence allowed him to.
He turned around.
What he saw was a man dressed in silk white clothing, the kind you don't see around these parts. Looked expensive, but well worn and earned. His shoes were dirty, implying a long road left behind him. He wore a hat, with a big long white feather. Unusual.
The thing that stood out the most was his sword. A gigantic sword that he carried with ease on his right hand. Surely, a thing no ordinary man could do.
- H-hello stranger - mumbled the dwarf - My name is Papius.
The stranger looked at him, it seemed as he was reading the dwarfs mind.
Suddenly he bowed.
- Greeting to you master dwarf - said the stranger - My name is Sifu.
- I greet you Sifu - replied the dwarf with a bit of reserve - What brings you to these parts?
- I traveled from the south and I am looking for a place to rest my weary soul - answered Sifu - Do you perhaps know of any inn nearby?
- Ahh, now you speak my language - said the dwarf with a big grin on his face - If you are looking for an inn, then you are looking for the Lucky Pony, downtown. It's the best inn in the whole region!
- Many thanks master Papius - replied Sifu - I shall depart.
- Wait - said the dwarf suddenly
That "Wait" felt set in stone to Sifu. Almost predetermined.
- didn't you say that you traveled here from the South? - continued the dwarf.
- You are most correct - said Sifu while looking around
- But all the ships are banned from entering the north harbors - stated the dwarf - How could you get here? Did you get smuggled in?
- I traveled here via the north-south bridge master Papius - said Sifu
- The bridge ?! - said the dwarf - Please stop with the nonsense. That bridge has been closed for 20 years. Ever since the last great war came upon our lands.
- Is that so.. - replied Sifu - I guess I must take your word for it.
Suddenly they heard a howling.
It came from up the hill.
Chills went down the spine.
- Oh, darn it to hell - said the dwarf - again those noises.
Sifu closed his eyes.
- Do you hear the howling often? - he asked when he finally opened them.
- Yes, yes, bloody wolves, I bet. - said the dwarf - You can hear them howling every day, the sounds come from the old lighthouse, way up there.
- Wolves don't howl in the morning, master Papius - stated Sifu
- Yes.. well... I guess these do! - stumbled the dwarf
- I guess it's worth checking out - said Sifu after a while
- Oh, no, no, you don't wanna go there - said the dwarf with a pale face - everyone knows that the old lighthouse is haunted. The old Sirius, God rest his soul, went mad after his girls committed suicide and jumped from the cliffs. He hanged himself. No one ever goes there, except the bloody wolves.
Sifu listened to Papius story and nodded.
- I am looking for work - he finally said - maybe if I can get rid of the howling, your townsmen can muster up some coins. Coins I can later spend at the inn?
- Hmm.. - said the dwarf - perhaps, perhaps.. few coins.. you never know.
- It's settled then - said Sifu
- Point the direction master Papius - said Sifu - I will be on my way
- Up there, on the hill. - said the dwarf, while pointing in the direction of the lighthouse - I wish you safe return.
"But i doubt it will be so" - he thought
- I bid you a good day - said Sifu as he left for the hill.
As he was climbing the hill, Sifu suddenly stopped. He took a deep breath of the cold morning air and as he opened his eyes he looked up to the skies.
"It's the time of the red moon" - he thought - "All supernatural is free to roam the earth."
"Superstitions?" - the thought appeared in his mind.
Stepping lightly, almost cat-like, he stepped down from the bridge and onto the road.
He moved slowly, but you could almost feel him running from something.
At the same time, near the bridge, a master dwarf was in the middle of his idle worries.
The kind we all have.
Everyday worries.
The dwarf felt someone approach him. He didn't hear or see it, he just felt it. But he somehow knew that he felt it, only because the presence allowed him to.
He turned around.
What he saw was a man dressed in silk white clothing, the kind you don't see around these parts. Looked expensive, but well worn and earned. His shoes were dirty, implying a long road left behind him. He wore a hat, with a big long white feather. Unusual.
The thing that stood out the most was his sword. A gigantic sword that he carried with ease on his right hand. Surely, a thing no ordinary man could do.
- H-hello stranger - mumbled the dwarf - My name is Papius.
The stranger looked at him, it seemed as he was reading the dwarfs mind.
Suddenly he bowed.
- Greeting to you master dwarf - said the stranger - My name is Sifu.
- I greet you Sifu - replied the dwarf with a bit of reserve - What brings you to these parts?
- I traveled from the south and I am looking for a place to rest my weary soul - answered Sifu - Do you perhaps know of any inn nearby?
- Ahh, now you speak my language - said the dwarf with a big grin on his face - If you are looking for an inn, then you are looking for the Lucky Pony, downtown. It's the best inn in the whole region!
- Many thanks master Papius - replied Sifu - I shall depart.
- Wait - said the dwarf suddenly
That "Wait" felt set in stone to Sifu. Almost predetermined.
- didn't you say that you traveled here from the South? - continued the dwarf.
- You are most correct - said Sifu while looking around
- But all the ships are banned from entering the north harbors - stated the dwarf - How could you get here? Did you get smuggled in?
- I traveled here via the north-south bridge master Papius - said Sifu
- The bridge ?! - said the dwarf - Please stop with the nonsense. That bridge has been closed for 20 years. Ever since the last great war came upon our lands.
- Is that so.. - replied Sifu - I guess I must take your word for it.
Suddenly they heard a howling.
It came from up the hill.
Chills went down the spine.
- Oh, darn it to hell - said the dwarf - again those noises.
Sifu closed his eyes.
- Do you hear the howling often? - he asked when he finally opened them.
- Yes, yes, bloody wolves, I bet. - said the dwarf - You can hear them howling every day, the sounds come from the old lighthouse, way up there.
- Wolves don't howl in the morning, master Papius - stated Sifu
- Yes.. well... I guess these do! - stumbled the dwarf
- I guess it's worth checking out - said Sifu after a while
- Oh, no, no, you don't wanna go there - said the dwarf with a pale face - everyone knows that the old lighthouse is haunted. The old Sirius, God rest his soul, went mad after his girls committed suicide and jumped from the cliffs. He hanged himself. No one ever goes there, except the bloody wolves.
Sifu listened to Papius story and nodded.
- I am looking for work - he finally said - maybe if I can get rid of the howling, your townsmen can muster up some coins. Coins I can later spend at the inn?
- Hmm.. - said the dwarf - perhaps, perhaps.. few coins.. you never know.
- It's settled then - said Sifu
- Point the direction master Papius - said Sifu - I will be on my way
- Up there, on the hill. - said the dwarf, while pointing in the direction of the lighthouse - I wish you safe return.
"But i doubt it will be so" - he thought
- I bid you a good day - said Sifu as he left for the hill.
As he was climbing the hill, Sifu suddenly stopped. He took a deep breath of the cold morning air and as he opened his eyes he looked up to the skies.
"It's the time of the red moon" - he thought - "All supernatural is free to roam the earth."
"Superstitions?" - the thought appeared in his mind.