Chapter Three: Ashmoore

Daniel has grown older and is Now living in the town of Ashmoore. The darkness that has slowly been rising has finally found it's way to his doorstep once more and he is forced to continue on his path to the Dark Castle.

 

Chapter Three

Ashmoore

 

The town of Ashmoore was nestled between the white capped mountains of Olympus to the west and the blue waves of Lake Frostmoore to the east. It was a fairly small village with few shops, a local church, and of course, the local Pub/Inn. It was here you could find anything your heart desired, be it women, alcohol of course, town gossip and rumors, mercenaries for hire or even the occasional black market creature or two.

As the sun was reaching mid-sky Daniel opened the rotted wooden doors to the Sleeping Shepard's Inn and Pub. As he entered, the smell of peanuts and beer struck his senses, almost knocking him to the ground. The smell of the flowers and chimney smoke from outside quickly dissipated and a small grin spread across his face.

He made his way to the bar where a middle aged, balding man with a gut that equaled the various kegs behind him was serving drinks. The man quickly glanced over in his direction, "David my boy," he shouted and a huge smile grew on his face.

"Bob, How you doing today?" Daniel asked.

"Can't complain, people are flocking in these days," Daniel glanced around the bar and notice that half the tables were empty.

 "Well they will be," Bob said as he noticed David trying to hold back a chuckle.

David took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of the local brew, a thick black liquid the more closely resembled motor oil than something drinkable. Bob reached underneath to table and pulled an ancient looking brown bottle of Elshor’s Finest.

"Is that even safe to drink?" Daniel asked.

"Of course it is," Bob replied, feeling a bit hurt, "Only the best for my customers."

"Thank you, Bob," Daniel said as he quickly drank the foul smelling drink down.

"That good of a day already?” Bob asked.

"It's these dreams I keep having, every night they seem to be getting stronger and stronger," he passed the empty glass back to Bob and motioned for another one. "I know I must continue on the path laid before me,  and these dreams must be a sign that I have lingered here too long. It's just that I'm afraid," he looked into Bob's wrinkled eyes. "Not of dying, but of failing."

Bob poured him another drink and leaned in closer to Daniel, "How long have I known you?" he asked.

"Let see," Daniel said and thought about it for a second. "Four years."

"Four years," Bob repeated, "and do you know what I've learned in those four years?"

"What?" Daniel asked.

"You never quit," Daniel's face turned slightly red, "you have a strong heart and a passion for what's right."

Bob paused and they both just sat and stared at each other for a moment, then Bob said, "You weren't meant to fail, I knew it the moment I met you."

Another smile spread across Bob's face and Daniel drank the second drink, almost as quickly as the first.

"So, you’re leaving us then.” Bob said gloomily..

"I don’t think I have any other choice."

Bob took the glass and put it in the sink, "We're going to miss you around here."

"Is that so," Daniel said.

"It's not very often we get people like you around here."

"I've been hearing that a lot today.”

 Daniel looked around the bar and suddenly his heart sank. He had grown to love this little town and regarded the townsfolk as family. He was eighteen when he first found himself staring down at the little cottages and inviting smoke billowing from their chimneys. Although the dreams he had had reminded him of his loses, life here had eased the pain and had given him the strength to continue on.

Daniel looked at Bob and fashioned a quick smile, "I'm going to Miss this place as well," he looked at Bob and fear spread in his eyes, "I fear that if I stay any longer I'll be putting the people and places I have grown to love in the path of destruction and death. How it hasn't come already is amazing, but I fear that luck is about to run out."

Bob walked around to the front of the bar and sat in the empty bar stool next to Daniel, "It's coming whether you are going to be here or not," he said, "I feel it stronger and stronger each passing day. I feel it in the change of the winds. The land is getting darker, even the moon shines less bright these days."

Bob placed his hand on top of Daniel's, "I know you have to leave, every time I look into your eyes they seem distant. I can see you have a desire to continue on, as well as a longing to accomplish some goal that lies deep within your heart."

Bob and Daniel were once again staring at one another, the sounds of the bar had      become distant sort of tuned down so that only the words they spoke to each other seemed to get through. Bob continued, "If you could stay a while longer, maybe you could help us fight, help save the people and the town."

"It will be better If I go," Daniel said, "Perhaps by leaving I can lead them away from this place."

"If this is what you must do then I won't try to keep you any longer," Bob let go of his hands and tried to hold back the tears, "I am glad to have made such a friend as you." Bob walked back to the other side of the bar and grabbed two glasses of whiskey, "To the roads ahead," he said and both of them took one last drink together.

It was as Bob began to put the drinks away that a man came bursting through the front door. The man looked as if he had been running for days. His clothes were covered with dirt and holes. The skin that showed through was covered in blood and cuts. He was dripping with sweat and what appeared to be blood had began to soak through on his left shoulder. He quickly made his way to the bar as all the eyes turned and followed him.

"They're coming," he gasped, "Men in cloaks...about five minutes outside of town."

"Whoa, slow down there Jim, just try and catch your breath,"

Bob said. "Who's coming?"

"There were four of them. They were riding big brown horse and wearing dark black cloaks," he paused and caught his breath, "D****t Bob, they shot him...those m***********s shot him."

The tone of the bar changed in an instant, what was once a noisy place full of laughter and drunken singing was now quiet and still. Everyone’s attention had turned from their drinks and conversations towards the old man as they tried to follow ever word that was coming from his mouth.

Bob poured him a drink and grabbed a towel from the clean stack underneath the bar, "take this," he said, "now calm down and tell me…who did they shoot?"

"Paul," he said sadly, "f*****g shot him right in the head Bob, he didn't even see it coming," he paused and took a sip from the cup in front of him. "We were just riding back into town when we noticed four guys riding from the east. As they got closer we noticed the cloaks they were wearing we couldn’t make out the faces but the seemed to be held together by a snake that clasped together in the front. Paul turned to me and asked where I thought they might have come from but before I could turn to answer him I heard a loud crack and the next thing I saw was Paul falling of his horse to the ground."

Chatter broke out all around the bar people whispering about rumors of an ancient evil that was spreading across the lands and of strange folk that were wandering the lands killing all they came upon..

Bob looked at Daniel, "It seems time has run out," he said. "How did you manage to escape?" he asked Jim.

"Well, as soon I saw Paul go down I knew he was dead, I could see the blood seeping from the hole in his forehead. I turned my horse and hurried towards town, as soon as the horse turned, though, I heard another loud crack and a pain shot through my shoulder. I fell off the horse and hurried to get up. I looked back and noticed they hadn't started moving towards me yet so I ran as fast as I could, weaving to try and through off their aim. I made it back safely and found myself heading here.

    Daniel spoke up, "Did you manage to see where they might have been heading?" he asked.

"No, sorry," he said, "as soon as I was hit I just ran and never looked back."

Daniel turned to Bob and said, "S**t, I think I know where they're going," his voice started to show panic in it, "When was the last time you saw Kaleb?" he asked Bob.

"Just a few hours before you, he said he had some shopping to do and then was heading home."

"I've got to go see if he is alright. I'll be back as soon as I can. I don't think those men will bother you, it's me they are after. I'll take care of them and then leave as soon as possible.

“What do you mean it’s you their after,” Bob shouted but Daniel was already heading for the door and didn’t hear him.

Daniel rushed out the door and into the sweltering heat. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust from the dark bar to the blinding light outside. He ran as quickly as he could towards the cottage that he had been his home for the last four years.

As he reached the front gate he noticed that the front door was wide open. He quickly ran towards it looking in all directions for any signs of the intruders or some sort of trap they may have left.

    When he reached the foot of the threshold he slowly poked his head and looked around, "Kaleb," he quietly spoke into the empty house. "Kaleb, are you there?" No answer.

He slowly walked into the main entrance and peeked into the living room to the right. No sign of Kaleb. He continued down the hallway. The first door on the right was the study and he slowly propped open the door and whispered, "Kaleb?" still no answer.

He walked towards the kitchen and that’s when he noticed a shadow just beyond the door to his room. Slowly he crept towards the door and pushed himself as close to the wall as he could. He turned his head just enough to get a glimpse of the room and just as he was about to step in a man came up from behind him and hit him in the back of the head.

David fell to the ground stunned but still conscious. He turned onto his back just in time to roll out of the way of a second blow from the lamp that was coming for his head. Another man walked out of David’s bedroom holding a gun and pointed it at his chest.

"Don't move," the man with the gun said.

The second man picked Daniel up by his shirt and threw him into the empty bedroom.

"Where is it?" the man asked.

"Where is what…who the f**k are you guys?" Daniel screamed back.

“So, your going to play stupid with us then," the man with gun said and then proceeded to whack him across the face with the butt end of his gun. "Where is the map?"

David spit a mouthful of blood onto the wooden floor. "What map, I have no clue what you are talking about."

"Don't lie to us; we know the old man has been keeping it here."

The man with gun placed the barrel on Daniels lips. He could feel the goose bumps rise up his body as the cold metal touched the warmth of his skin, he could taste the metal and blood as he tried to swallow.

The man with lamp walked over to the closet and flung open the doors. There sitting in the corner bound with tape and rope was Kaleb. His eyes were closed and blood was dripping from a rather large gash on his forehead.

"We're going to ask you one last time," the man with the lamp said, "Where is the map?"

"F**k you," Daniel said and spit at the man.

  As soon as the spit landed on his shirt the one with gun turned towards Kaleb and shot him once in the stomach. Kaleb's eyes burst open and a scream escaped from his tapped mouth.

"No," Daniel yelled.

The man with the gun turned toward David, "Where is it?"

He was close enough to David now for him to try and make his move. David slowly leaned towards the man and whispered in his ear, "F**k You," and then head butted him, causing him to drop his gun.

In what seemed like mere seconds David rolled away from the man with the lamp just as he was bringing it down to smash his head and picked up the gun. Bang, one shot hit the man with lamp right in the forehead blood and brain squirted out the back of his head and began to run down the wall. Daniel got up and aimed at the man who had shot Kaleb. The man slowly raised his arms in surrender hoping to fool Daniel. Just as his arms reached the air he flung his left one down towards his pants for the other gun he had hidden there, but before he could even reach the grip, two shots rang out. One hit him square in the chest the other, right between the eyes.

Daniel dropped the gun and stared at the two lifeless corpses on the ground next to him. He had to be quick, Jim had said there were four and he had only taken care of two. He rushed to untie Kaleb being careful to not hurt the old man any more than he already was.

"Kaleb, can you hear me?" he asked as tears began to run down his cheeks.

“Smokey," Kaleb spoke quietly and struggled to get each word out, "Wh...Where is Sm...Smokey?" he asked.

"I don't know I didn't see him when I came in. Just lie down, we need to get you some help first then I'll go look for Smokey."

"I'm sorry I never told you," Kaleb said.

"Never told me what?"

"I'm sorry I never told you about your father, Kaleb."

"You knew my father?" Kaleb asked, sounding surprised

Kaleb slowly got to his feet. Daniel tried to get him to stay on the ground but even with a bullet hole in the stomach and getting the s**t beaten out of him was not enough to keep him down.  

Kaleb walked towards the desk under the window that Daniel had prayed to only this morning. This morning, Daniel though, it seemed like years had passed since then. Kaleb opened the desk drawer and removed the backing of it to reveal a hidden compartment. Inside was a tattered looking piece of old paper. Kaleb took it out and unfolded it. On the paper was a map of Elshor. It listed everything from the Highlands, The Forest of Dreams to the deserts in the west and even the Dark Castle that was at the end of Daniels Journey.

Daniel took the map from Kaleb and looked at it. His eyes followed the route to the west then came upon The Dark Castle lying in the Southwestern tip of Elshor. His heart began to thump faster and faster.

Kaleb spoke softly, "I know of what it is you seek. Your father and I tried to find it many times when we were younger." He coughed and a little drop of blood ran down his chin.

"Find what?" he asked. Anger was beginning to rise inside of him but as he looked upon the dying man that had taken him in he calmed himself.

"There is no reason why I didn't tell you. At first I thought it was of no importance but then you began having the dreams. I told myself that was all they were and hoped that in time it would pass…I was a fool."  

 

"No…no, you’re no fool Kaleb," Daniel said. "I am the fool, I should have left here a long time ago. Now I fear I have doomed all of you."

Just then a tapping came from down the hallway. Daniel jumped up and slowly walked to the door. He grabbed the gun lying on the ground and slowly stood at the edge of the door and waited. The tapping began to grow louder and closer then it was joined with a slight panting. Just as it was reaching to door way Daniel turn and pointed the gun out in the hallway. Nothing there, as he scanned the hallway he looked to his feet and saw Smokey.  

Smokey was covered in dirt and had a slight limp. Blood drenched the corners of his mouth and matted his fur. Daniel bent over and patted the dog on the head. "Good boy," he said.

Kaleb called from the room, "Who is it?" he asked. At the sound of his masters voice Smokey ran into the bedroom and jumped up into his lap.

"Smokey," he laughed as the dog began to clean his face. "Good boy."

Kaleb was growing paler by the minute and Daniel knew he would not last long. "We need to get you some help." he said.

"Don't worry about me," Kaleb said. "Take the map, you were meant to have it. You are the only one who can end the coming darkness. You must find the Book and destroy it or all we be lost." Kaleb lied down on the bed and closed his eyes.

"What book?" Daniel cried.

"I'm sorry Daniel, forgive me."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," and tears began to flow from Daniels eyes. "I'll make them pay for what they have done….I promise."

Kaleb inhaled deeply and slowly spoke, "take care of Smokey for me. He is a good companion and he just may be of some help to you on the journey ahead." he let out a long exhale and managed one more sentence, "beware the power of the book," and then Kaleb fell silent and motionless.

Daniel took the map that was now lying on the bed, folded it and put in his pocket. He walked to the closet and took a blanket out and covered the old man. He grabbed his leather bag from the corner of the room and filled it with clothes, food, and water, slung it across his back and walked to the front door.

"Come here boy," he said to Smokey. He opened the door and looked back at the man who had become his second father. He closed the door and with Smokey at his side headed back towards the Inn.

He reached the Inn and opened the door. It was empty except for Jim who was still nursing his wound and another beer at the bar.

Bob saw Daniel come in and motioned him forward. "Did you find Kaleb?" he asked. Before Daniel could reply he could see in his eyes that he had and it wasn't good.

"They got to him first. I managed to take two of them out but one of them shot him in the stomach…he passed a way a few minutes ago."

"I am truly sorry," Bob said and lowered his head.

“I believe Smokey here took care of the others but I can't be sure. Just be on your guard alright." Daniel said.

"What are you going to do then?" Bob asked.

"Kaleb left me a map," Daniel paused a moment then continued, "I going to find those responsible and end this once and for all."

"Good Luck," both Jim and Bob said.

Daniel turned towards the entrance and said, "Don't let your guard down for a moment. Not until you feel the darkness has gone," and walked out into the now unfamiliar world around him.