Hollow Eyes

Dawn appeared over the horizon as the young man lay against the tree. His clothes were torn and a look of insomnia was upon his face. After the events he witnessed at the Krakens Eye how could one ever sleep again. He stood up checking the short blade he had on his side ignoring the blood caked on the blade. He thought back to the nightmare he witnessed days before...

The two young soldiers stood upon the wall laughing about some jokes they were making about the younger women of the village. There names were Trevor and Simon and they joined the guards watch to impress some of the females back home while bringing honor to their fathers. They had been friends since they were children and found when it was time to become soldiers they joined together.

In the night air screams had erupted from the village as the soldiers looked out with wide eyes. They watched as a small army of undead soldiers came from the path of the ancient graveyard and descended on the village in a matter of minutes, slaughtering all in there path while burning the homes as they passed.

Simon snapped away and ran to the signal bell ringing it to alert the other soldiers. Trevor could not keep his eyes off from all that was happening. A moment later the commander was making his way to the wall yelling about. Trevor was memorized as magic was being cast from a ghost like woman. What they saw next terrified the men as the villagers rose from the dead and began to dance under the glow of the fires. This was enough for Trevor as he ran to the left of the wall making to jump off and save his skin. Simon yelled after him but as he turned to tell his friend to follow him a swarm of the undead had scaled the wall and were clawing and biting Simon as he screamed into the night.

Other screams came from his fellow soldiers as they were being torn apart and before he knew it a young boy from the village was upon Trevor. He was able to throw the boy off and produce his sword. Trembling he shouted for the boy to stop but the boy howled and charged into his sword. Trevor kicked the boy off his sword with tears of panic in his eyes as he didn't look back and jumped over the wall...

He began to focus on the day as he stood from the tree and still wondered how he was able to survive the fall. He needed to find someone to get the word out about what happened at the fort. With a goal in hand and tears of rage for his friend he continued on while the screams echoed back to him in his mind. His thoughts continued to find Simon and the childhood they shared. It was the one thing that would keep him going no matter how many more days this journey would continue to take.

As another day passed however tears had gripped Trevor and he screamed to the sky in anguish. His resolve was breaking but in the far distance he found salvation. The outline of an inn along a road was becoming visible and he began to thank all that would listen for this symbol of hope...

The inn was filled with a few people eating and drinking as a man that looked to be in his thirties sat in the back playing a fiddle. He wore dark leathers adorned by various belts that chained together. Over his eyes he wore a dark grey bandanna to cover his eyes. A raven sat on his shoulder looking all around the inn watching for the slightest of movements.

The door flew open as a young tattered soldier collapsed to the floor. The tavern keeper and his wife ran to Trevor with some water and tried to revive him. One of the older men looked to the symbol Trevor wore, "by the gods he is from the Krakens Eye! That's four days journey from here and look at his clothes do you think the fort has been attacked?!"

The tavern keeper shot a look of concern to the old man "we won’t know anything till this boy revives and when he does will know more but till then we wait. There is no need to bring alarm till we know why he is here, hell for all we know he could be a deserter." With that said they picked the boy up and brought him into one of the rooms to rest. The fiddle player just continued to play as he smiled to himself waiting for the events to unfold themselves in the days to come.

Night descended over the inn and brought a few more people in but no word yet of the soldier who collapsed through there door hours ago. Night had passed into the next day as Trevor began to stir. That evening as the same crowd listened to the fiddle player Trevor came out to tell his tale. The fiddler stopped and listened with the others as Trevor recounted his nightmare. The people of the tavern gasped with horror as he continued his story with every detail.

"Well that settles it!" One of the middle aged men in the inn stood up and placed a hand on Trevor's shoulder. "Tomorrow you and I lad will ride to the city of the north and bring this to King Ison himself, I will make sure you get an audience to tell of all you have told us. Will make sure the king sends back an ample amount of soldiers to retake the eye and slaughter the evils that brought this nightmare upon you! Do not feel a coward lad from what you told us you made the right choice who knows how stronger this evil could become if word is not sent your a brave and lucky lad to make the choice you did."

The others cheered and each of the patrons, eight including the inn keeper and his wife came to thank the soldier for his bravery and courage. In the excitement the raven on the fiddlers shoulder flew up in the rafters to watch over all those in the inn. The fiddler stood up and called the attention of everyone in the inn. "Tis troubling times indeed but this lad shows that with a stout heart one can overcome many horrors and make the most difficult of choices. For this lad’s courage and sacrifice to bring us such news I have a very special song I would play this night before your journey begins tomorrow my friends. Also allow me to buy each of you a round of ale to celebrate the victory that is to come over the nightmares that have not been heard of in these lands in years."

The patrons cheered and the inn keeper and his wife got everyone a mug of ale. The blind fiddler bowed to the small crowd and began to speak an ancient language of magic. The fiddle began to glow and rise as if there was an invisible ghost holding it while the fiddle began to play in mid air. The crowd cheered in awe as the fiddle player smiled the most evil of a grin.

The raven hawked in the rafters and the fiddler as quick as a spark had conjured three ethereal daggers that glowed with a white mist in between his fingers. The crowds cheers soon turned to screams as the fiddler threw the ghost daggers into the crowd each finding there mark with ease. The patrons fell over dead with the daggers thrust into there necks or eyes with a perfect precision. Trevor fell from his chair and ran to the door yelling for Simon and how this shouldn't be happening but the blind fiddler was quicker and cared not for his tears as Trevor fell over with three ethereal daggers sticking out of his back. The raven cawed from the rafters as it glided down to land on the fiddlers shoulder.

The fiddler walked around the bodies as the fiddle kept playing on by the invisible musician. No one made a sound as they all lay dead on the tavern floor. The fiddler checked each ones pocket and removed any valuables they held. Then the fiddler walked around the wooden bar and found a bag with potatoes of all things. As he smiled he dumped them out onto the floor and threw the bag over at Trevor.

Before he left the bar he poured himself a hard drink and started to hear the cries of a baby behind him. He found the door and entered into what he found to be the innkeeper and his wife's bedroom. In the far corner were a wooden cradle and a baby girl crying into the night. He walked up to the cradle and looked over the child sighing. "It tis a pity little one that you are part of this ordeal but you see I can not let word of this out just yet when there is much at stake for the future. I am however without a heart and will give you this gift." He placed his palm on the baby’s forehead and spoke words of an ancient language as a purple glow came from his palm. "If the fates allow you to come of age you will witness this night through my hollowed eyes. You may seek me out for revenge if you wish but train well because I will only grant you life this one time."

With that said he made his way back into the room of the dead bodies. He knelt besides Trevor and conjured a new blade that was longer but still made of mist. The raven cawed from his shoulder as the fiddler cut into Trevor's neck sawing his head off. He placed the head in the rucksack and grabbed his fiddle. Shutting the door behind him to the inn he made his way to the small stable where he grabbed the nearest horse and rode out into the night.

Four days later he came to the destroyed village and found the boys story to be true in every sense. Soldiers stood on the walls and along the gate to the Krakens Eye but there faces were rotted and aged. A voice came from the top wall as Vareloc looked upon the blind rider with curiosity. "You’re foolish to come here blind man all you will find is death though if that is what you seek we would be happy to oblige?" Vareloc held the order to have him slaughtered as he was very curious as to why this rider was here.

"No my lord actually I came seeking you to offer my services. My visions have shown me much and as such I bring a gift for my lord." The fiddler reached behind him and took the head out of the sack raising it high in the sky. "One of the soldiers of this keep escaped looking to bring the news of your conquest. I must report that all he spoke to have also perished and no word has passed since unless any others escaped."

At this point Kriska came behind Vareloc with a smile looking down at the blind man and the head he held. She whispered into Vareloc's ear "as I said my love one did escape but his word will not pass to any ears except for those of the dead. I know of this man he is of the order of blind assassins known as the Shadowed Eyes. They sacrifice their eyes for magical abilities and an animal that becomes their eyes. Our God favors there work I believe he would make a welcome ally with many talents you could use." Vareloc smiled at Kriska and looked back to the rider, "leave the head at the gates good sir and welcome to the Krakens Eye. I would most indeed be interested in your services, come through and let us speak"....