Chapter 4- Os

Chapter 4- from Os Simgborm's view

A marble statue depicting a dragon roaring with its wings outstretched towered above the crowd bustling by on the street. Three figures stood at the base, one girl and two men. One of the men was looking up at the dragon, mesmerized. The girl was reading the plaque at the base. The other man was looking around at the crowd, observing it. Suddenly looking up, the girl snapped her fingers and began to walk, joining in with the crowd. The two men quickly joined her.

All three of them failed to notice a black-haired dwarf watching them. Seeing them enter the crowd, he started to walk after them, but he was stopped by an unseen force.

In his head, he heard a deep, scratchy voice: “Not yet. You must find them first.”

Waking up from the dream, Os Simgborm could feel his hangover pounding in his head. He tried to recall what had happened the night before, but he could not. Looking around, he saw he was in a run-down inn.

The light gray paint was peeling off the walls, leaving little black spots behind The room only had a bed, a wooden chair, and a wooden desk. The bed didn’t have a blanket on it. The wooden chair appeared as if it was about to fall apart. The desk had many engravings, each in different languages, all gibberish to Os.

Standing up and looking around for his warhammer, Os couldn’t find it. He opened the door and looked down the dimly lit hall. To the left appeared to be more rooms, each with a closed door. To the right came the noise of conversations. Slamming his door, Os walked down the hallway to the right. He came to a flight of stairs and quickly went down it.

He was at the bar, and the only person there was the bartender. The elderly man cleaning glasses looked bemused when he saw Os enter.

“Where’s my warhammer?” Os asked as he crossed the floor to reach the man.

“Pay me for your drinks and you’ll get it back,” he retorted. “You drank half my supplies last night.”

Os patted himself down, looking for his coin purse. “I can only pay you if you hand it over.”

The barkeeper smirked as he reached down under the counter with the glass. Coming up, he held a small, black leather pouch.

“How much?”

The barkeeper thought for a moment. “Hmm… twenty-five gold, I believe.”

Looking into the bag, Os pulled out a handful of coins. Some were triangular and gold colored, while others were square and light gray. He put the coins on the counter. “Keep the change. Give me my warhammer.”

The bar keeper swiped the coins off the counter and began muttering to himself as he walked into the back room. Coming out, he held a warhammer. The  handle was wood with five etchings, each the same. It was the bottom half of a circle topped by a triangle. Where the triangle met the half-circle, three circles in a horizontal line were etched further into the wood. The two circles on the outside were slightly smaller than the one in the middle. The head of the warhammer was iron, worn down by use.

Taking hold of his weapon, Os felt much better. Nodding his thanks and putting the warhammer away, he began to walk out. When he reached the door, he paused and turned to see the barkeeper staring at him.

“Do you happen to know of a marble dragon statue?” Os asked.

The bartender nodded. “In Fula. If you take the road, you’ll reach it in few days.”

“Walking speed?”

“’Course not!” he exclaimed. “It’s dangerous on that road! No one has bothered to keep it clear of creatures for years. Walking, if you stay alive, will take a month I reckon. I suggest you get a horse, first.”

“Thanks.” Turning back to the door, Os began to walk out again.

“Wait!”

Os sighed and turned around to see the bartender walking towards him. “What do you need?”

He stopped. “Last night, you were telling me about the marks on your arm. And your religion.”

Os glanced down at his left arm. On it were five black-inked symbols which were the same as the ones on his warhammer.

“What about it?”

“Just want to warn you to not show those or talk about your religion. You aren’t from around here. You’ll be killed if you don’t follow our leader.”

“Yeah. I know. I was drunk.”

Os turned on his heel and exited the building. He began walking down the road. Once he got out of the city, he looked down at his arm. Running his right hand down his arm, he muttered something. As his hand passed over the marks, they faded back to his normal skin tone.

Looking up at the sun overhead, he asked no one, “Why didn’t you warn me?”

Author's Note

I should probably explain this chapter. At the beginning, Os is dreaming. He then wakes up.
Let me know what you think and if you have any questions.