A Mercenary's Tale

[Dravus]

In order to hone my writing skills and prevent myself from getting too rusty I've decided to start up a long term project to give people some insight into Theodric's past. I'll update this thread on a semi-regular basis. Constructive feedback and commentary is very appreciated!

 

 

---

 

 

Theodric Ironheart let out a string of crude curses and shielded his eyes as best he could as thick plumes of black smoke drifted in his direction. It soon filled his lungs and burned his throat, causing the Highlander to cough violently and stumble backwards. He was vaguely aware of losing his footing amidst the confusion wrought by the exploding Garlean device that had oblitered a Maelstrom sentry post not far from his current position. He did his best to steady himself, though despite his efforts he felt himself tumbling down a rocky slope before everything around him went black.

 

---

 

The Hyur winced and groaned as his eyes slowly opened once more. He could feel something warm trickling down the side of his head, causing the man to move a hand upwards and stare in disbelief as he made out the sight of blood upon his fingers. The sun was beginning to set in the sky above him, though despite the encroaching darkness the area was illuminated by an eerie orange glow - originating from the flames he saw not far away from his current position. His entire body ached, though he took some small comfort in being able to move his legs and arms without extreme pain.

 

Emitting a deep grunt, Theodric forced himself up onto his feet, swaying unsteadily as he began to set off in the direction of the ruined Maelstrom outpost. He had been passing through on his way to Costa del Sol, doing odd jobs here and there in order to earn enough coin to ensure that a steady supply of drinks and wenches would be sent his way upon his arrival. Yet just as he'd returned after dispatching a group of Kobolds causing trouble upon the roads a group of Garlean soldiers had arrived and set off some sort of strange Magitek device that had sent shards of metal in every direction and bathed the small encampment in a sea of flames.

 

He felt his stomach turn at the thought of those that had been caught in the blast. He'd managed to make it to the outskirts just in time, though he'd succumbed to the smoke not long afterwards. A chill ran down his spine as he realised just how close he'd come to perishing right then and there. As if on cue, he began to cough once more - a searing pain shooting through his head moments later. He clutched the back of his head and felt more warm blood seeping down his thickly muscled neck before succumbing to his wounds once more.

 

---

 

Theodric's eyes opened more easily when he next awakened. He was also pleasantly surprised to feel the soft and warm comfort of clean blankets beneath him and a kindly looking middle aged woman peerng down at him as she held out a clay mug full of fresh water for him to consume. "You're finally awake, eh? I admit, I didn't think you'd make it through the night but someone's certainly watching over you." she stated, pushing the mug up against his lips insistently.

 

Realising how dry his throat was, Theodric gulped down the cool substance gratefully and then cleared his throat as he struggled for formulate a suitable reply. "Where am I?" he asked, his voice weak and shaky. Even with the refreshing water his throat still felt very dry and sore, though he did his best to ignore it and fixed his intense brown eyes upon the woman leaning over him.

 

"Wineport. You were brought here by a group of adventurers who stumbled upon you not long after that terrible explosion. They managed to pluck another three survivors from the flames, though only two - yourself included - survived the trip here." the woman explained, her expression one of immense sadness. She looked away briefly, pulling a handkerchief out of her white cotton blouse in order to dab at the corners of her eyes.

 

"I am grateful for their aid, as well as your own." Theodric replied, smiling up at the woman before adjusting his position in order to sit upright. His head still hurt, though his hands found fresh bandages wrapped around it. He was vaguely aware of the scent of lavendar nearby, though he swiftly located the source as burning incense in a jade bowl nearby.

 

"It is the least I could do. Tensions have always been high with Castrum Occidens nearby, though it appears as though the Garleans are growing bolder by the day.The outpost they obliterated was small, though they managed to end eleven lives in total." the woman stated, shaking her head as if in disbelief.

 

"I was just passing through at the time. It all happened so fast, I barely had time to avoid the explosion. It was as if the flames and smoke followed me as I ran, however." Theodric replied, the irritation in his throat subsiding enough for him to form longer sentances. 

 

"You are welcome to remain here for as long as you like. You are an adventurer, I take it?" the woman asked once more, causing Theodric to shake his head in response.

 

"I'm a mercenary. My name is Theodric." he explained, noting that the woman in front of him smiled fondly in response to his statement.

 

"I see. Theodric...it is a pleasant name that rolls off of the tongue rather well. I am known as Elizabeth, though many of the folk around these parts just call me 'Old Beth'. Elizabeth said, causing Theodric to nod. He found the nickname a little strange, since the woman didn't look to be more than ten years older than Theodric's thirty one years, though he remained silent as he knew what a volatile effect commentary upon a woman's age could have.

 

"At any rate, you've been unconscious for just over a day. I've some broth boiling on the stove downstairs, so I'll go bring it up here for you." Elizabeth announced, smoothing down her blouse before heading out of the room.

 

For a few moments Theodric simply stared at the ornately carved wooden door that 'Old Beth' had departed through, though soon enough his attention returned to himself. He felt weaker than he was used to, but as he pulled down the blankets wrapped around him he saw that his muscled physique had been left exposed - his clothing gone, save for his underwear. A number of cuts, burns and bruises lined his arms and torso, though they appeared to have been attended to already. He prodded one of the thicker bandages wrapped around his forearm, wincing slightly as he realised how tender the flesh beneath had become. He was thankful for Elizabeth's aid, though he knew he wouldn't be in any condition to enjoy Costa del Sol for quite some time.

 

He heard footsteps approaching the door to the bedroom and Elizabeth returned with a large bowl of steaming hot broth placed upon an iron platter. It smelled delicious - his stomach rumbling in approval as he saw the hearty chunks of chicken and vegetables residing within the bowl. Elizabeth flashed a smile of encouragement, handing him a large wooden spoon.

 

"This is...delicious. You're quite the cook." Theodric announced after indulging in the broth, taking his time to enjoy each new spoonful. Elizabeth's smile broadened, blushing in response to the compliment.

 

"I have had a lot of time to perfect my recipes. I am in charge of providing meals for many of the men and women who work at the orchard." she explained, causing Theodric to nod in acknowledgement of her words. He'd heard quite a lot of good things about Wineport and had even considered working there himself at one point.

 

"Which reminds me...I've been so distracted keeping an eye on you that I've neglected my duties elsewhere! I shall return in a couple of hours once I've appeased the appetites of my workers." Elizabeth said, chuckling as she headed out of the bedroom once more.

 

Theodric smiled, pleased that he was safely in the care of such a kindly woman. His reasons for heading to Costa del Sol were momentarily forgotten, the mercenary far too concerned with enjoying the broth to think of much else.