Post by Clyde Constantine on Jul 8, 2008 15:06:30 GMT -7
The forest of the Hidden Kingdom of EldenGale sure had changed from the last time Clyde had visited it. A number of trees appeared to have literally shot up in the space of just two year's time. As Clyde considered this, he paused and absent-mindedly knocked curiously at the side of one. "Sounds real" he mumbled to himself and continued onward, all but stumbling through the tall grass. It was a good thing he was traveling alone today, for feigning a limp whilst weeding one's way through so much organic debris would have been near impossible. He wasn't that good of an actor. Alone he was capable of so much more than what most assumed. As the trees thinned out his stride became easier, more fluid, and slowly developed into a light jog.
Gazing down at his compass, a frown flickered across Clyde's features. Wait. What? I should have reached the clearing by now, he thought. He shook the thing and held it up to the light, frustrated. "Piece of junk", he groaned as he stowed the useless thing in his pocket. That's the last time I buy something this important from that guy... The young man crossed his arms and considered his situation carefully. He would never reach the kingdom on time at this rate and then he'd be out yet another job without having even learned what it was in the first place. What use could an elf possibly have for him anyway? It was that mystery alone that had led him to this strange place again.
The first time he had been to this forest it had been at the request of his dead uncle's will. It had been one heck of a trip that time too. The kicker was that it was all to deliver some crummy old sword to a guy who didn't even seem happy to see it again. Apparently even in death Uncle Lazarus was a jokester and the sword Clyde had delivered was a sword that his uncle had taken from the elf after having defeated him in a duel in their youth. "I won" had been burned into the hilt and upon receiving it the elf gave Clyde a most heinous look. Clyde chuckled, remembering it.
The sound of a twig breaking about twenty feet away made him stop dead in his tracks. Slyly he lowered his posture and leaned a bit heavily on his walking staff before turning his head to the side. He didn't dare look to the exact source of the noise, instead keeping up the facade of being a regular lost traveler. Very slowly his other hand wandered to where he kept his dagger hidden, anticipating an attack. "Er--anyone out there?", he called out in his mock feeble voice, one that seemed almost better suited to a boy half his age.