Hildebrad's Heroes by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters. You have been warned.
A visage of determination sprawls across one's face. Focused like none other on the task at hand. The task….an unwieldy one. You overlook a small hill onto the landscape below. One where the fell undead horde amasses in the fair lands of Hildebrad. The cackling grins on each of the skeletons mangled corpses, each of them having different levels of disrepair.
Nait chuckled at the thought of it as he read his novel of might and magic. The chivalrous knightess and her band of misfits were sent into foreign lands with but one duty. To rid the surrounding area of the small medieval town of the undead blight it was facing. The young boy couldn't help but smirk thinking of this as a possible campaign for his next board game session with his friends.
At 11 years of age, Nait's very much your typical lion cub. He loved going outside with his friends and hanging out with them. But what he loved even more was the idea of role-playing games. The young boy was a fiend for a board game that had been based on Dungeons and Dragons. He'd even gone as far as to make his own character.
The hero in question, a lean Kobold boy by the same name. Apprentice to the Folken monks of Hildebrad. Shaven short fur matching the same color as what he had in real life. Even sporting the very same flame-red puff of fur that flitted off the end of his tail. In Nait's mind his hero was everything an ideal one would be. A brave, charismatic, and overly devoted acolyte to the Order of Ostrlich.
He had even gone as far as to make a backstory not only for his character but the order itself. Over many campaigns, his young Kobold had become quite experienced and had ascended to the rank of an adept within his order. This weekend would be his opportunity to prove his worth again and perhaps be granted further status with both the order as well as the Guild of Adventurers whom he banded with.
Nait had formed a guild with some of his closest friends. An Arctic fox boy by the name of Pent and a lizard boy by the name of Paco. Paco and Nait had been friends for quite a while and had a bit in common. Meanwhile Pent was a more recent new friend of Nait who he was still getting used to. Though the fox boy certainly was warming up to him as time passed.
A school group had recently formed after classes were over. The idea was to attract students who were interested in role-play. Going as far as to use older kids as the dungeon masters since they were familiar with it. This is where Nait had met Paco as well as Pent. However, the fox boy had not gone there of his own volition and instead went because he promised his brother he would.
It took some time for Nait to convince the fox kit to join his group. The lion cub was more social than his peers. Over time Pent became more used to him and eventually joined his clan. The last week the three of them had been planning a weekend getup where they would do a session of the game after school. After getting permission, each of them agreed to meet at Nait's place that Saturday.
The days had come and passed rather quickly, as they often did during the normal rush and responsibility that came with school life. Nait had gone the extra effort and had his parents order pizza for the big night. A bowl of popcorn had already been prepared and was steaming in the kitchen with the scent of the butter that had been smeared over it.
A knock at the door soon elicited. Nait could hear the sound of it echoing through the hall as he sprang up from where he was sitting and bolted toward the living room. His mother chuckled at seeing how quickly the young cub moved. It wasn't every day that he was this excited about this. Nait opened the door and greeted Paco with a friendly high four.
The two of them went off to Nait's room. The lion cub had already prepared the board game with all the necessary accessories on the side of it. A couple of different-sided dice, character sheets, encounter cards, and a game guide that included things like monsters and campaign ideas. It was a short while before there was another knock at the door.
This time Nait was a little too occupied to answer the door. Already he was knee-deep in preparation for the night ahead. Instead, Nait's father answered the door and brought Pent back to the lion cub's room. The younger cub smiled at Pent who he could tell was a little bit nervous. It was the first time the fox had been over his house and he was standing there idly for a moment.
Nait got up to greet his friend, stopping what he was doing to make sure the other boy felt comfortable and safe. The smaller lion looked at the bigger boy with a smile and touched his shoulder gently.
"Come on, it will be fun. We're almost ready to get started." The lion cub led his friend over to the floor where he and Paco were.
In front of them laid a large cardboard mat with a decoration similar to a dungeon layout. Nait had already decided that he would be the dungeon master this time. After all, he'd already gone as far as to create a campaign from scratch. He knew exactly what he had in mind and was looking forward to sharing his creation with his friends.
All three of the boys sat on opposite sides of the board. Nait got his dungeon master's guide for reference and placed it on his side. He looked over at Paco and then at Pent, both of whom gave him a soft nod to show they were ready. He handed them out the game pieces as they were placed on the board as the throw of the first set of dice hit the board. Nait closed his eyes as the game was now afoot.
A dark expanse of putrid swamp surveyed before them. The popping of sulfurous bubbles from deposits underneath. The smell of it seemed all too familiar from the cow fields back in Hildebrad. Nait pinched his long nose, trying to plug his nostrils from the awful stench of it. Yet there was no safe harbor for that which was the most foul stench they could imagine.
Nait trudged forward through the thick water. Muddy grime stuck to his legs as the sound of it slapped and spattered about with each step he took. He looked back at Pent who even despite his Alchemist robes was completely covered in muck and grime.
"Come on….we have to get to Catolin…the people are besieged by the undead army of Fesertlis." The kobold said proudly as he puffed out his chest and fixed the medallion around his neck.
Paco whined. "Why did we have to come this way….we could have avoided this swamp if you just listened to me."
"It's quicker. Time is of the essence. We must do what we can to make haste. The guild frowns upon slow work." Nait spoke with the usual devotion he carried to his cause.
The three of them continued through the Swamps of Negerlin until they approached a small hut in the distance. A thick plume of smoke billowed from the chimney where the home sat atop a few wooden poles that affixed it above an otherwise flooded surrounding. Even the windows affixed on both sides of the entrance beamed with thin rays of light. It was apparent someone still lived in the place.
Nait and Paco hesitated as they approached it. A tiered ladder led up to it allowing each access to the reeded porch in front of it. A leave-woven door sat at the center of the home with a knotted knob acting as the access point. Pent showed no amount of fear but as he looked back he sat the other two boys had some amount of fear to them.
"What are you two afraid of?" The battle alchemist wiped the slop from his robes.
Paco looked over at Nait who looked back at him before both of them pointed behind Pent and said. "Witch!"
The fox boy looked over his shoulder and sure enough, an old crone of a man was gazing at him. The crow had crusted over eyelids and black feathers that had been torn through time showing very little of the dark colors of his youth. Despite having neither eye opened, it was apparent that the man knew they were there.
"What do you whelps want?" He said with a raspy tone, half-cawing voice.
The white fox looked back at him seeing none too impressed at the so-called witch. "We were just passing through the swamp."
"And you thought it keen to trespass my property? Bold words, whelp." The crow tapped the stick he was carrying against the wooden porch causing it to echo through the woods.
The young kit looked at the man seeming unphased by his comments. "It's not like we were trying to take anything."
"Well, no that is true. But that still doesn't stop the fact that this is my land and I do not like trespassers. I demand satisfaction for this transgression." The bird tapped the fox on the head with his cane who groaned at him back.
The fox boy shook his head weighing his options. "Look we're sorry but we just wanted to go through the swamp. Perhaps we can be of assistance to each other."
"I am interested in no such thing. Pay me for safe passage or I will not allow you to pass." The old man's eyes glowed with anger flowing through his body.
Pent reached into his satchel at the side of his waist belt and pulled out a single coin before handing it to him.
"What is this, some kind of joke?" The man reached back and lifted his staff off the ground, the thing lit up with a faint green glow as if illuminated by magic.
Nait yelled. "Pent run!"
The fox reached into his waist belt where several flasks were held by loop. Pulling out one of them and uncorking it. Tossing it towards the witch. The crow's frame froze in place. His whole body was coated with a thin layer of luminescent ice. Shards of it fell to the floor as the temperature was not cold enough to sustain it.
"Come on, let's move." The fox said calmly as had not been phased by the turn of events.
Paco looked at him, a little bit surprised by how poised the other boy was. Nait knew that his friend was about as controlled as most cubs their age. Seldom finding himself in situations where he was not in control. To those who
did not know him well enough, Pent was seen as distant and oftentimes. Paco couldn't help but tap the frozen bird as they made their way past him.
The three of them continued past the small hut and back through the remainder of the swap. It took much longer than they planned. The constant sloshing through the thick slog of the water only further delayed their progress. After some time they finally found their way out of it, finding themselves at the outset of the fields of Benaut.
The Benaut Fields were a flat landscape sprawling with lush greens and flowing grasses. Stalky trees and thick shrubs canvased the land as a light breeze carried the wind about. They could see the various flowers and other colorful plants sprouting about as if spring had recently turned. Everything about the place was better than where they had come.
The grasses were long enough that they came somewhere near each of the boy's midriffs. As they walked through it, they couldn't help but feel a slight itching sensation from the constant rubbing of the flush greenery. In the distance, they could see a faint silhouette of something. The shape of it became much larger and more distinguishable as they walked in the direction of it.
Eventually, they arrived upon it. The Axe of Benaut lay before them. A relic of the era's bygone past of a legendary hero who had supposedly felled an entire legion of Orcs by himself. Tales of his deed had long been passed down and each of the boys knew some version of it. They couldn't help but look upon it with admiration once they were close enough to realize what it was.
A small plaque sat at the bottom of it. Engraved with the tribute to the fallen hero of ages past. The axe itself was large, far larger than any of the boys could ever muster. It's two-headed blade and a thick haft which was connected to it. The point of the blade had long since been blunted as it had been a tourist destination for some time. It laid with its only sharp edge carved into the earth for all to see.
They soon made their way past the axe and back into the flat plainlands of the fields. Flowers had overtaken much of the horizon with a distinct floral scent that overwhelmed each of the boy's senses. As they pushed forward through it they came across but a single tree. Its hefty trunk was thick and worn from age. Its canvasing branches flowed overhead.
Each of the boys looked at each other. They had been traveling for a while now.
"Let's take a break for a bit." Nait suggested, taking it upon himself to take a seat near the center of it.
The other two cubs nodded with each of them joining him at opposite sides of it. Taking a load off as the kobold couldn't help but sigh in relief. Even going as far as to close their eyes a bit, seemingly made comfortable by the lush environment and relaxing aroma of floral ecstasy. Despite it being so thick and overwhelming they found themselves feeling strangely relaxed and at ease.
Several moments passed as both Nait and Paco had fallen to the sways of the floral decadence. Pent was still fighting it. His eyes are heavy as if he expected something behind this whole situation. Suddenly he overheard a loud buzzing noise. Looking overhead he noticed an overly large hornet's nest with giant insects swarming from within it.
Several of the flies swooped toward them. The fox lept into motion as he tried to wake up his friends. Taking one of the tonics from his belt and splashing it on them. The two of them woke up abruptly and realized immediately what was going on.
"We need to run!" Nait said groggily, realizing they probably had no defense against these bugs.
They began running as fast as their legs would take them. Racing through the fields in hopes that the wasps would give up their pursuit sooner or later. Looking back after a while, the group found that the wasps were nowhere to be seen. There was no sound of their constant buzzing in the distance. It seemed that the wasps had given up.
Nait looked over at his two friends and they were catching their breath. Things had gone from bad to worse and he felt like a bad leader for their little band of Adventurers. They still had a ways to go before Hildebrad and they needed to make haste before nightfall.
"Come on…we need to hurry up and head towards the town. I assured the guild we would fulfill this task by nightfall." The lion said with confidence despite not being sure of himself if they would pull this off or not.
The other two cubs nodded and they began underway again. Pushing through the rest of Benaut Fields and over to the rising slopes of the peaks of Zidon. The mountains were now visible in the distance and they knew they were getting closer to their goal. Hildebrad sat atop one of the smallest peaks which had been flattened off from erosion over time.
As they got closer they could begin to out the town. Yet there were no signs of merchants or caravans heading towards it. Nait knew this must have been a sign that things were more dire than they had been told when they accepted the task. They approached the base of the mountain where Hildebrad was situated, the darkness of the swirling dark clouds and the small peak overtop them made it much more of a dreary atmosphere.
A path led from the base of the mountain to the town. Along it, the boys found scattered remains of skeletons and all sorts of belongings from people who had likely fled the scene. Yet there was no signs of life, or unlife for that matter, as the entrance of it seemed devoid of any activity. Still, they treaded on ever further up the mountain and towards Hildebrad.
At the entrance of the town, they found no guards. Instead, the wooden gate that led into it was swung open and smashed against the wall to the side of it. Nait took a look inside expecting more than what he saw. The streets were completely vacant. Tumbleweeds twirled through it with only the soft sound of the wind whistling through the canyons surrounding them providing ambiance.
On the ground, they could see much the same. Scattered remains of what appeared to be skeletal creatures. Yet it appeared they had been destroyed or otherwise had been defeated. They continued into the town until they heard the faint music of a harp. The first noise they'd heard since they came into the place. Nait immediately wondered where it was coming from.
The three adventurers made their way, following the music to a small tavern, The insides of it were still lit by candle. Each of which appeared to still have a significant amount of wax to it. The wind from the outside made the small flames flicker within. The constant strumming of the harp was now much louder and it was apparent this was where it was coming from.
The tavern was thick with the smell of alcohol. Large puddles of it with several mead flagons lay strewn across the floor. Had the candles fallen to the ground, the place surely would have gone up in flames. Nait and his friends proceeded back through a narrow hall to a back room that was only faintly lit by a single candle at the corner of a room.
The lit candle flickered ever so slightly as the harp playing came to a stop. Whatever, or whoever, it was who was making the noise realized they had visitors.
"Ohoho~ What brings ye, three to me keep?" A feminine voice spoke softly as they revealed themselves from the shadow.
Nait looked at them. The woman, a mountain goat, wearing the traditional robes of a bard of some forlorn court. She chewed on a thin string of hay, making loud lapping noises as she bit into it.
"We came here to rid the town of the undead problem? Where is everyone?" Nait asked, certain the place was far too quiet for something to be going on here.
Her mouth curled as if into a smirk. "Undead? Such a foolish suggestion. Pray, what royal decree has sent you my way?"
"We are not here because of King….or country. The guild sent us. Now where are all the townspeople?" The lion continued asking questions as nothing seemed to make sense.
Her grin continued to grow larger as she approached the three cubs. "No people….only me and mine alone."
She stepped on the ground, the bell on her pointed shoes jingling. A cloud of smoke surrounded her as the cubs choked from it amassing in the room around them. The thickness of it seemed to surround them and expand behind them into the tavern from whence they came. It was becoming difficult to breathe so they quickly made their exit from the bar.
The moment they did, they found themselves back in the streets of Hildebrad. It was raining now, lightly as they gazed in front of them. Each of the cubs looked ahead in disbelief. Leering eyes and broken jaws, mangled bones, and shambling gaits. Skeletal monstrosities now lurked about, ever moaning and groaning as if in a constant state of pain and discomfort.
Suddenly the sound of a flute could be heard in the distance. The piping sound of a short high-pitched melody caused the skeletons to lurch forward. The sound of bones scraping against each other resonated loudly with muffled clicking and clacking as the joints rubbed violently. Nait looked at his friends whose faces were equally dumbstruck by a combination of awe and disgust.
The kobold was the first one to act, brandishing his fists in a fashion to tackle the full force of his boyish might against the enemy. Cracking and clashing against each of the emboldened undead before them. Nait stepped out breaking into the midst of a large group of the fiends. The constant clamour surrounding him made it difficult for him to gauge how many of them but that mattered not as his survival instinct kicked him.
Nait punched forward with all the gusto he could muster. The skeletal frame shattered against the impact, sending shards flying everywhere. Paco lept back, reaching behind him to grab his crossbow. Attaching special bolts to it that had been magically
enchanted to affect undead beasts. Letting loose several bolts as he kited them away from the tavern.
The bolts rappelled against some of the bones, bouncing off of them to several other nearby foes. Pent reached into his belt buckle as one of the fiends swooped in on him. Ducking underneath and placing a small flask within. Tapping the other two boys on the shoulder, goading them to follow him. Moments later the small police exploded sending the skeleton and its counterparts back into the nether realm.
"Always have to make the biggest bang, don't you?" Paco said as he panted a bit to catch his breath.
Pent shrugged and smirked at the comment but made no response. The minstrel continued playing her flute. The bard floated overhead, remaining overtop the now sundered beasts below. Once again that began to take shape anew as she cackled maniacally. The three boys sighed as they saw the undead horde coming back into an animated state.
"Well, Science boy? Any hypothesis?" Nait said to the fox who was the most strategic among them.
The fox kit scratched his head as he thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps if we defeat the mistress….the horde will succumb without its leader."
"That's a great idea. Let's get her attention so she can't continue to ignore us. " The kobold knew just the way to get her to defend herself.
The horde began to approach the three cubs once again. The lofty mountain goat hovered overtop them, her mischievous grin remaining ever present on her face. Nait motioned for his friends to stay put. He knew they were perfectly capable of defending themselves. Besides… nothing was stopping Pent from just freezing the enemies in place as he often did when things became unruly.
Nait snuck through the line of skeletons as quietly as he could. Fortunately, the other two cubs had gained their attention so it was a simple matter for him to just go around the horde. He climbed up the building closest to where the minstrel was playing her flute. It was much louder where he was at and he did what he could to ignore the somewhat high-pitched noises coming from it.
The boy pulled himself onto the roof. He could see the jester looking at her horde with a look of satisfaction. The woman's confidence was overbearing. Without a second thought, he lept at her, catching her off guard. The kobold and the mountain goat rolled onto the ground below before gently landing with a muffled thud against one of the buildings.
"Ohoho~ What's this? The little gnoll has come to play?" She still maintained that ever-present grin on her face.
Nait held her against the ground, looking all too serious. "Enough games. Call the skeletons off or this will end here and now."
"Such an aggressive jest from such a little kobold…Perhaps an accord can be arranged." The woman tried wiggling out but found no wiggle room and was quickly giving in when she saw the conviction in the boy's eyes.
The boy loosened his grip on her but remained on top of her to keep in control. "Name your terms."
"I will de-enchant the horde and leave these lands….in exchange for a simple game of chance. Win and I will do as you ask. Lose…and I will confine you to the same chains as the other villagers." The mountain goat still believed she had some amount of leverage in the deal.
Nait hit the woman on the shoulder to show he meant business. "No deal. Try again."
"Such an angry cub….fine. Beat me in a game of skill and I shall return to whence I came. Only one game is necessary. Winner takes all." The bard looked him in the eye to show was hiding no deceit in the offer.
The kobold arched his eyebrow. "And if I lose?"
"Then you must leave this town to me and mine." The woman only wanted power and control.
The boy nodded. "Fine. Call off the attack and we'll play your game."
The mountain goat blew the flute one time loudly, causing all of the undead fiends in front of Paco and Pent to lay inanimate once again. The two of them caught their breath as they had fended off the attack successfully. The minstrel woman reached into her pocket. A single ivory day lay within.
"Pick a set of three numbers between one and six. If it lands on them then you win. If not, then I win." She covered her hand over it so the die could not be seen.
Nait looked at her hand and then back up at her, suspecting there was more to this game than she let on. Suddenly an idea came to his mind.
"How about this instead….we flip a coin. Same odds. You pick heads or tails." The kobold cub was certain he could work this to his advantage.
The mountain goat looked at him in a state of disbelief. "The die….or no deal."
"What….are you afraid of losing? Come on…what's a little fun, Am I right?" The boy goaded her on in hopes she would change her tune.
The minstrel twirled one of the longest strands of her on her face. "Fine, best out of three then. I pick heads."
Nait smiled. She knew she would pick heads. The cub knew just the way to slant things in his favor. After all, playing unfairly with a fiend such as this showed no amount of regret on his part. He palmed the coin and threw it upward, telling himself to allow her to win first to give her confidence that this was not fixed. The coin flipped overhead landing square on heads.
"One-Zero." Nait announced, keeping as calm and collected as possible.
The woman rejoiced in place. Her ridiculously arrogant smirk only grew ever larger on her face. The kobold tossed the coin again, this time keeping it closer to ground level, and allowed it to fall into his open palm.
"One-One." The boy spoke again, keeping the same straight face he'd maintained all along.
The bard bit her upper lip. As if a fit of uncertainty had come over her. Never had she lost a round of a game of chance before. She had always been the one in control. As she swooped her hand forward to grab the coin, Nait threw it into the air once again. Both of them struggled to grab it, certain they needed to be in control of it. The coin rolled off the back side of the boy before lying on the floor behind him.
Both of them looked at the coin. The bard snarled at the boy and hissed at him. The coin had landed on tails. It seemed she had not come on top. She huffed as she took her flute and snapped it in half.
"A deals….a deal." She said before tossing the thing.
The mountain goat began to walk away from him. The constant jingle in her belled shoes rang until she was far off in the distance. The other two cubs joined him at his side. They looked at him in a bit of disbelief.
"How were you so certain you would win?" Paco asked as his ears perked up in curiosity.
Nait looked at him with a grin. "A good magician never shows his tricks."
"That's not fair! You're not a mage, Nait!" The smaller boy whined as they finally broke from their moment of pretend.
The lion boy shrugged. "All is fair in the game we call Dungeons and Dragons."
Paco rolled his eyes at him. The fox kit to Nait's other side remained silent as he often was when he wasn't sure what to say. The two of them eventually worked things out. After all the thread of the dastardly bard had been absolved. The town of Hildebrad had been restored to a more livable state. All that was left was…cleanup.
Nait's mother soon reminded them it was time for the lion boy's friends to go home. The boy would whine as he wanted to finish the game but she didn't give in. After all, it was dinner time and each boy needed to go home to their family/ The people of Hildebrad would have to be returned to their homes some other day.
"Fair thee well, my friends." The lion said as he led his friends back to the front door.
The three of them parted ways shortly after. It would be some time before they resumed their campaign. After all, the lands of Hildebrad never slumber, and nor do…the boys and their imaginations. Until next time…when the adventures of the three cubs and their compatriots continue. Ever vigilant…ever daring…and ever brave and none of them could wait.
