Freezing. The brisk morning air nipped at Sonhu's nose and whiskers. He lay curled against the stone wall of Alkrun. His tail wrapped around his body, and his cloak tightly wound around his body, fending off the cold the best it could, but the chilly air still snuck its way in through the little holes and tears of the cloak and the opening mouth of the hood. The morning dew clung to his fur, and his back ached against the stiff stone wall.
Sonhu had arrived late at night after the gates had closed, and the sounds of the bustling city had long died down for the night. He had considered trying to scale the city wall but figured the chance of being caught by patrolling guards was too great, so he decided to bear the cold of the night.
Sleep had not come easy to him. The fear of the… Thing coming after him was ever-present in his mind, but the exhaustion of yesterday eventually conquered fear and caution, and he found himself nodding off.
Sonhu's ears twitched. Though his eyes were still closed and his head remained resting on the wall, he listened intently to the sound of the forest. The swaying of the leaves, the calm whispers of the wind, the melancholic songs of the birds. Somewhere, a gentle stream was shushing the forest—GROWL— Sonhu's stomach moaned to him.
When was the last time I ate? Sonhu thought to himself. It had to have been yesterday morning. The little piece of jerky I had for breakfast before setting out for the temple. Sonhu thought about what kind of food he could scavenge once he got within the city walls, but he couldn't dwell on his hunger, so his attention once again returned to listening. Praying he would hear the sound of the guards opening the city gate soon.
It was quiet. Not the calm, quiet repose of the forest before, but a strange, absent quiet. The wind had died down, and the leaves no longer rustled, the birds no longer sang their somber melodies, and even the stream was oddly silent. Sonhu opened his eyes. He lifted his head and turned, staring through the shadowy mass of the forest. He squinted his eyes. Scanning the tree line, then—CRRREEEESSH
Sonhu turned towards the city gate, no more than thirty yards from him. He stood up slowly, his muscles sore and tight. He walked his way over to the entrance. Two guards stood posted, the first a middle-aged man with a bushy mustache. He had dark bags under his eyes and looked as though he was about to topple over. He was loosely holding onto a spear that he rested on the wall beside him. The other guard seemed slightly younger with a clean-shaven face. He was fighting off sleep, holding himself up with his spear. They were both clad with light leather armor over their tunics and had metal helmets with loose straps hanging haphazardly unfastened.
As he approached, the first stood up straighter and steadied his spear straight up. He then noticed the other guard and smacked him over the back of the head. Jolting up the second guard also assumed a more professional stance.
"Name and intent within the city?" The first one asks. He gestures towards Sonhu with his head, and the other guard moved towards Sonhu. Sonhu raises his arms as the guard pats him down.
"Sonhu, I am here to purchase supplies." He states calmly. The guard's hands searched his torn cloak, kneeling down as he pats Sonhu down.
"Sonhu?" The man repeats, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Sonhu confirms. The guard looks him up.
The other guard reaches Sonhu's waist and pulls a dagger from it. He looks at it cautiously and shows it to the other guard. The other guard looks at it and shakes his head.
"Any affiliations?" He asks as the other guard stands and offers the knife back to Sonhu. Sonhu takes the knife back.
"None," Sonhu replies plainly.
The guard looks him up and down before giving a slight nod and stepping aside. Sonhu makes his way through the gate and enters the city. The first guard's gaze follows him as he walks into the city.
Alkrun was a small city. It was not particularly known for much more than its status as a hotspot for human trade with other species. Most humans, especially in the eastern regions, were quite cautious of other humanoid creatures. From the grandest of human empires to even the realms of minor dukes, most had some legal restriction on interspecies dealings. Still, Alkrun, an independent city, was a place where such limitations did not exist. With little documentation of deals and trades, a characteristic of places lacking centralized authority in most forms, these deals thrived. Perfect for hiring a hidden blade, a subtle thief, or anything you could want with little scrutiny.
Sonhu made his way down the street. It was quiet. Alkrun often was. Trade here was usually done behind closed doors. Sonhu eventually arrived at an alleyway. At the end of the alley was a set of cellar doors. Sonhu knocked on it twice and waited a moment. After a few seconds, he heard footsteps approaching from downstairs, hidden behind the door. Then, through the crack of the door, an eye peeked and eyed him up. CRK. A latch unlocked, and the doors swung open, revealing a small goblin man.
Gyl'dr stood just three feet and two inches tall. With yellow-spotted skin, long pointy ears, blue-mohawk hair, gangly yellow teeth, a pronounced underbite, red eyes, and four long fingers, he looked like your typical goblin. He had a nose ring and wore a tattered tunic with its sleeves cut off. He snarled at Sonhu and then asked,
"Wah'chu wan'?" He asked, fidgeting, annoyed.
"I can't stop by just to say hi?" Sonhu asks him with mock offense.
"Did yah?" Gyl'dr asked, annoyed. Crossing his arms, he leans against the side of the cellar wall, still standing on the wooden steps.
"I need some gear," Sonhu admits sheepishly. Gyl'dr raises an eyebrow.
"Where's da res o' yer stuff?" He asks quizzically, looking Sonhu up and down.
"I lost it." Gyl'dr blinks slowly and then asks,
"Really? Don' sup'poze you also los' all yer coin and are hopin fer some han' out."
"I have no other options." Sonhu tells him, "I can pay you back. You know I'm good for it."
"Y'ah are, but I been havin' some trouble cauze of yah lately." He replies, annoyed. "Jus' las' week, some crosses came here fer yah."
"Last week?" Sonhu repeats. The priest and crusaeders had hired me only three days ago. He had heard of the job through rumors at a bar. They hadn't hired me specifically.
"Yeh. I ain' seen yah for ah moon an' then they show up azkin' 'bout yah."
"A month? I was here only days ago." Sonhu replies, confused. Gyl'dr scrunches his face and then says,
"Tzen'kuri! Wha' yah talkin 'bout boy. Yah leave a moon ago on sum job an' den sho' up on mah doorstep out da blue like some D'kryx. Slvyr don Szcryth." Gyl'dr began muttering under his breath in Dyn'clet. Had it really been a month? Sonhu swore he had only been gone three days, but thinking back to the temple. When he came back, the corpses had smelled a bit decayed.
"Ah recomen' yah lie low Sunny. Da crosses ain' look so happy when dey were lookin' for yah."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Sonhu replied distantly. He had gone internal thinking. If it's been a month, the church is probably concerned about the missing priest. When priests go missing in places like this, only trouble follows. Gyl'dr uncrosses his arms and tilts his head, his brow furrowing as he watches Sonhu.
"Yah, a'right?" He asks.
"Yeah… I'll manage." Sonhu says. He looked up and down the alley before he started moving towards the main street again. He pulled his hood over his head.
"Eh, were yah goin'?" Gyl'dr called out, "We ain' dun here." but Sonhu did not turn back.
Sonhu moved quickly through the street. Keeping his head down, he avoided the small groups of people who walked down the streets. He felt as if the walls were watching him. Sonhu stayed close to the side of the street, ready to duck into an alley.
Soon, the city gate was in view. Sonhu picked up his pace a little, but then he noticed the guards from before looking in on the city rather than out. They were scanning. The small, empty plaza before the gate was practically empty, and so Sonhu was exposed. He quickly ducked backward behind a building. He peered around the edge of the building towards the guards. They had turned and were looking back outward.
They definitely saw me. Sonhu thought to himself. Where can I go? His mind raced with possibilities. First and foremost, I am compromised. Sonhu began making his way down an alley when he hears footsteps and the clank of armor. It is two sets of steps. He crouches low and begins to crawl quickly, but quietly, hoping not to be noticed as he makes his way through the alleyway, darting between different covers. He moved from a pile of crates to a doorway, then behind some boxes.
The two sets of footsteps reach the alleyway and come to a stop. Sonhu freezes. Holding his breath. One set began moving again, heading down the main road. Then, the other starts making their way down the alley. Damn. Sonhu eyes the end of the alley, where it opens up to another street. He could make a run for it, but he doubted his capability to make it out of the city. He could fight. His hand runs its way along his dagger, but then what. Maybe he could take one by surprise, but doing it again? It was unlikely that he could do it twice, and even if he did, that would be really incriminating.
No doubt the church had sent them to inquire about the priest and the crusaeders, especially if it had been a month. I don't think I can live on the run from the church and its crusaeders. My best option is to do my best to claim innocence… or at least ignorance. Sonhu ran the potentials in his mind as the crusaeder came closer… and closer… then he reached the boxes. He raised his sword as he saw Sonhu there. Kneeling in the corner.
A heavy sense of dread and regret clung to Sonhu. This nightmare refused to end.