2

“This isn’t good at all…nowhere near good at all.” The aged king finally spoke after reading the address sent from Blackwood Village; the latest town to be the victim of the Vraal attacking. This time it seemed that some more livestock paid the price and no people. Which significant it was still a major problem, considering that meant the farmers would demand for more livestock from the king…and that meant risking sending a caravan around the Black Swamps for bandits to assault once again. Setting the yellow parchment down, the king breathed a low sigh of grief, shaking his head. He wore a rugged purple tunic, with fluffy white cuffs around his arms, as his skin was pale white from all the time stuck inside, tending to issues. His hair was greyed early, as he was only sixty years old, from all the stress spent tending to his people’s woe. His baggy black pants were tattered from all the time spent running about, as his weathered beard was long and scraggy.

Overall, he was a man for the people, and was willing to do literally everything to protect them and serve them, as a good king should.

Over his shoulder his Grand Mage stood, shrouded in a red cloak, revealing nothing of his true appearance aside from his pale, calm hands…he obviously had read the address as well, and was less than pleased.

“The Vraal has been busy once again.” The king glanced over, nodding solemnly to his dear friend, his voice calm and collective, matching his look. “What should we do about this, Otis? The people will soon demand a solution to the creature’s rampage, and we need something that can guarantee their safety.”

“I’m afraid there’s not much we can do,” The pained, aged voice left his lips, as he ran his withering fingers through his beard. “The Vraal is too elusive to track down, and the only thing we’re sure of about it is the creature is more active at night, and is always in that swamp when we least expect it…augh, I’ll have to try to get a caravan set up and get some knights to guard it from those bandits. What have you learned about the creature, Samuel?” The king stood up slowly with some effort, turning to face the wizard.

“I had some magic sight stones placed around the Black Swamps during the daytime, with the hope of learning more about the creature’s habits and see if it’s possible to even predict when it’s soon to move.”

“And what did you find?”

“That the Vraal’s extremely illusive. For a whole month we got not one sighting, and only a few brief descriptions from villagers suffering from PTSD. The only thing we can confirm is that it’s big.”

“Troubling…anything else?”

“This,” From his robes Samuel withdrew something, that made the king’s eyes widen a bit.

It was some sort of…spike. The thing was colored a dense violet hue, and was gnarled at the tip…serrated really. It was about as thin as a finger, and as long as a human forearm…but it looked both dangerous, and enticing. The king’s hand reached out gently, and Samuel’s hand darted it back, shaking his head.

“Avoid from touching the sharp part of it, mi lord.”

“My word…where did this come from?”

“One of the trees in the Black Swamps. We found another lodged in a dead minotaur there; with the majority of its body eaten away. We did some tests and here’s what we learned,” Samuel’s next words were very major…something the king didn’t expect.

“This spike, contains a toxin that’s capable of rendering someone’s body entirely useless.”

“Like the Basilisk Venom?”

“No, much more potent; this one takes effect quicker. We theorize that in about an hour a person’s entire body would shut down, as a numbing agent; like the Naroct Roots we use to sedate knights and people for healing and even amputations.”

“And you’re saying the Vraal’s venom acts much faster?”

“Indeed, and we found a few more things,” He held up what looked like very smooth sage green scales, said scales having black thin lines along them. When the king’s hand grasped it he took notice to the fact that it was not only very firm, but at the same time extremely durable; like natural armor. “We found this in some of the water, at the entrance to the swamp; we’re beginning to grasp the concept that the Vraal must be some sort of reptile creature.”

“That’s useful information yes but how does this benefit our current situation?”

“It does mean that during the winter times it should be less active, considering the only reptiles who’re still active and moving during those times are Infernal Dragons and a few fire based ones. But I’ll continue to monitor the Vraal’s habits and eventually be able to report a possible weakness.”

“Do so Samuel, we’re running out of options before the people want to just destroy the entire damn swamp…I’m not like those moronic kings with no respect to nature. If we obliterate an entire major swampland just to kill one creature…let’s just say some kingdoms will refuse to do business with us, on account of us being barbarians.”

“We still have one option mi lord-“

“Out of the question,” The king was staring Samuel down in a flash, wearing a mask of irritation and frustration. “We are not putting a bounty on that monster. I’m not risking brave heroes’ and heroines’ lives against a creature that we know little to nothing about!”

“But Otis we don’t have a choice!” The mage snapped, fists clenched as he breathed heavily, the king’s glare softening slowly. “That thing murders and runs through our lands without pause; more and more people keep dying to it and we’re literally out of options. The greater threat is to do nothing, and let the creature continue its campaign of horror, that has terrified many of your subjects to the bone and has made them afraid to even venture outside their very homes at night, in fear of the Vraal slaying them!” Otis plopped down in his seat, pinching his brow, a heavy, defeated sigh leaving him.

“…Otis, listen to me not only as your Grand Wizard, but as your friend, the one you knew since we were children…we have to do something, and this is the only way. We’ve tried sending knights into the swamp to kill it, we’ve tried magic based weapons being laced throughout the swamps, and we’ve even tried drawing it out; nothing has worked. At least this way heroes and fighters from across the lands, some with decades of experience in killing monsters, can come to our province and have a fighting chance at slaying the Vraal. Like I said Otis, the greater threat here is to do nothing, and to continue to let that fiend run around.” A low sigh left the king, one of aspiration and depression; the sound someone made they literally had nothing left to lose.

“…two hundred thousand gold pieces.” The king spoke, lifting his head, a solemn, but understanding look on his face. “Put that much on the Vraal; it’s enough to draw attention and get some quality work out. Send a few carrier ravens outward as well to all neighboring kingdoms; spread the word as much as you can, Samuel.” The wizard nodded, as he turned to walk out the door, but not before Otis’ voice rang out, concerned.

“Sam, we made the right choice in this…right? My gut is telling me we’ve just sealed the fates of a dozen men and women, who’ll come to slay the Vraal…”

“We have, mi lord…and I’ll do everything in my power to ensure those heroes find their marks, and the Vraal’s reign ends with a bang.” The king reclined in his throne, the only sound filling his ears being the retreating footsteps of his friend, as his eyes cast themselves to the window, looking out at the rising sun in the distance; basking the mountains and the rest of the land in its warm, loving, copper embrace…and made the haunting silhouette of the Black Swamps even worse.

…and he swore, just for a second, he could hear a roar in the distance, one that even from where he was gave him unwanted chills. The roar of something monstrous; of something that had no purpose on the world the gods forged…

…the Vraal had finished another damned hunt…the death toll was probably risen by now.