Within Darkness (Paused)

Chapter 1: Caine: In the Inn Part 2

Caine looks up seeing a man. He is bearded but not that long. His complexion is closely like to Caine, brown but quite darker. He identified the man as Max Berdwen. Max Bardwen is a close friend of Caine. He is known for his gray not-quite-long beard that lies just below his large mouth. He smiles clenching his teeth. He is missing some teeth on the upper and lower row. It’s kind of frightening.  

“Oh max!”, Caine stands and hugged him. It is like a while since they had seen each other.

“Well… I’m Fine, How about you?”, he asks Max. Caine notices something. He is missing his left arm.

“What happened?”.

“I am ambushed by a group of Leorans at Mount Nessor.”

“Leorans?”, Caine doesn’t know a Leoran is so he needs to ask Max.

“Yes, Leorans. Leorans are group of ethnic people residing at the mountains of Dufar that ambushes people for certain reasons like extorting them.”, he explains to Caine.

“Ahhh… So, What did they do to you?”.

“They wanted me to give them all my money and belongings at the time. I told them that I have no money. For the reason that I didn’t give them any, they engaged me in a fight, 1v8. I managed to kill seven of them but unfortunately, one of them wounded my left arm with an Iron Destiny Blade. I had no choice but to cut it off. As soon as I get to the town proper, I immediately went to a clinic for a check up and now here it is.”, Max saddens. He remembers the memories of still having his left arm. Unluckily, Max is left-handed.

“Aren’t you, Left-handed?”, Caine is intrigued on how will Max cope on daily life during writing stuffs.

“Yes, Yes I am. That’s why I am practicing to write with my right hand. I find it difficult and hard. I really wanted my left hand back so that I can write well!”, he explains.    

“By the way, What’s an Iron Destiny Blade?”, Caine really doesn’t know what it is. He really needs to explore more of the world. He needs to be more of an Adventurer than to be a sorcerer thinking of the sake of others.

“It’s a sword forged by an unknown blacksmith way back from Caelorn Dynasty. It’s magical that is said to cause mental illness to anyone or anything it cuts off within a minute or two.”, he explains again. As long as Caine and Max had been together, he can tell that Max really likes to explain.

“How bad, isn’t it? You’re lucky enough that you are intelligent to think that quickly!”, Caine tells Max of how he is by Max’s quick thinking. Maybe if Max didn’t think quickly like what he had done, he is already dead at this very moment and a feast for wild animals on the mountain.

“So what now. I’ll just inquire for a room! Bye bye!”, that words he utters while walking makes him bumps on a big man. The man has big belly that allows anybody to bounce back or reflect, just like a light hitting a mirror. That man is Aderma. Aderma is the largest guy in the Inn. He does not go along with the team or an individual He always ignores everybody and he seems to not know the word socialize. He seems to have no friends or one.

“Watch where you are walking!”, his voice is so deep that it is like in a big hole that couldn’t be reached by an outstretched arms. You need to struggle before reaching it.

Aderma just ignores him and continues walking. His stomps are so loud that can be felt by Caine almost many feet away.

Caine smiles a little that makes his shoulder to rise. He shakes his head slightly. Caine remembers a thing again, the thing about the Wild Rose and Dark Woods.

Caine’s stomach starts to complain. It seems to go up and down, back and forth and sideways. “Oh, Here you go again!”, he tells his stomach. It’s weird for such person like him to be talking to stomachs or things.