Home of the Redsilk Merchants

Narrator Note//:

Hey readers! Just wanted to apologise first off because I have absolutely failed at keeping to my proposed update schedule. All I can offer as an excuse is that I have been having some familial troubles as of late and it's been a bit troublesome to say the least. I shouldn't let that affect me but however I will say that my update schedule is changing once again to at least once or twice a week depending on circumstances. I hope you all enjoy the upcoming chapters leading to the end of the prologue which won't be long now (even though i'm over 100 chapters in but we'll gloss over that haha). Once again, thank you all for sticking with me and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

A FEW HOURS LATER:

The wheels of the wagon runs over the smooth stone main street of Wiralsama. The group is in awe as they all look around as they take in the huge almost city-like hub of trading in the Reduna'zriam Continent.

Huge stores with goods shown in windows, stalls along every street, most of which sell either food, drink or clothing.

"Wow, this place is huge!" Lani says with amazement in abundance within her voice.

"That it is lass! Welcome to the beautiful gem that is Wiralsama! The biggest city in the whole of Reduna'zriam!" Daffodil replies with a proud smile on her face.

The wagon then pulls up to a big barn-like building and Daffodil shouts out, "Greyr! Open up! It's Daffy!".

A few seconds go by without response but then the large wooden doors are opened up.

Daffodil then guides the wagon inside and it comes to stop in the repurposed barn. Now it has become a sort of garage for the wagons or at least, that's what John thinks upon first look.

The group all hop off of the wagon as Daffodil begins taking the reins off the gurogans.

The party stretch their arms and legs before an older dwarven man and a young elf walk up to them woth the older dwarf saying, "Daffy! Where you feckin' been lass? The auld man nearly blew his top when you didn't show up this morn".

"I was busy getting us some business Greyr, trust me, any top blowing will be smoothed over in a bit" Daffodil says with a proud grin.

"Who are your new friends Miss Daffodil?" The young elven man asks.

"Ahh these are mah new friends! The orc is Kyuala, dinnae mess wae her. The cat is Amilia, she's a feisty one too. Our elven friend is Terra and then the man and the fairy are John and Lani" Daffodil says with that proud grin now turned into a full blown smile as she gestures to the group with John offering an awkward wave back.

"It is nice to meet all of you. My name is Moray Linesgrove" The elf responds, adding a little bow at the end.

"The boy is too nice fur his ain gid. The name's Greyr and that's aw yer gettin' fae me" The grouchy old dwarf says before walking to the back of the wagon.

"So, wit ye brought back wae ye? Doesnae look like a big business opportunity" Greyr comments as he looks at Daffodils supplies and the extra bags of loot.

"I will show you" Kyuala answers the dwarfs question as she reaches out to one of the bags and grabs the handle of a sword before pulling it out.

The large orc hands the sword down to significantly small dwarf who instantly begins to inspecting it. He inspects the weight of the blade, the sharpness of the edges, every little groove and the perfect level of smithing to make a sword of this calibre.

"Fucking Nora me oh my! Is this what I think it is?".

Kyuala smirks at the elder dwarfs reaction before she says, "Forged Kalær steel. Not even a scratch on it".

"Ooooh hoooo! This beaut is giving me some tingles in the auld nether regions!" Greyr remarks, earning some less than thankful looks from the others.

"Anyway, there's more where that came from. We're talking swords, daggers and axes, all should catch a pretty penny!" Daffodil says, excited at her and the groups haul.

"If I may ask Miss Norhan: Where did you acquire all of this?" The young elven man asks.

The group look amongst themselves but Daffodil is the one who actually asks, "Should I tell 'im or?".

"We, took, the weapons, from the Darkcross hideout" John says, shocking Moray to the point his eyes almost fall out of his head.

"T-t-the Dark-c-cross? A-a-as in-?".

"As in criminal organisation that's been terrorising Reduna'zriam for years" Kyuala says proudly.

Greyr looks at the sword in his hands in shock as he gently puts it down on a nearby crate. The old man then comments, "Welp, we're fucking dead".

"Actually, it's the Darkcross who are fucking dead" Amilia says.

Greyr and Moray are confused and so John decides to explain.

"We set out to find their hideout to get rid of them for good".

"Haud on. Yous are telling me that, yous, actively went and fought the bastards?!" Greyr asks in disbelief to which he's met with nods and murmurs of agreement from the group.

Greyr looks at the group in shock and after a few drawn out seconds. He responds....

By laughing.

The elder dwarf holds his stomach as he guffaws away to the confusion of everyone else who simply watches the elder man laugh away.

Greyr wipes a tear from his eye as his laughter finally begins dying down before he says, "Ahh, sorry. Whew, it's just-, the Darkcross, they've been terrorising this continent for years, even longer than people nowadays know".

The group are still confused and so Daffodil asks, "What'd you mean?".

Greyr looks at the group, now with a serious look in his eye as he explains his words, "Well, when I was a wee lad, my parents used to tell my brothers, sisters and I these scary stories. Now I heard these stories but never really listened to them, thinking they were pig piss. That was, until people started going missing, and it wasn't just a few either. Fifty folk disappeared from the streets in just a month, and more followed after. My family always kept together so we never worried but we had acquaintances, neighbours and friends aw disappear into thin air".

Greyr takes a moment, sitting down on a crate while the others do the same to listen to his story as he readies himself to continue...