The not-immortal Blacksmith

Under a Graveyard, formerly Fort Bradley.

The Western Continent.

Night

The door, a simple iron banded oak slab affair, stood in front of the party. On the count of three, they pushed. The rusted hinges screamed and broke, the door falling inward.

The smell of ancient decay flooded out, almost chocking the three heroes. Light from the torch Hesh carried illuminated the interior, a collection of broken benches and a table. The remains of a ladder that would have led to the next floor lay on the left side of the space.

What really caught everyone’s attention was the armored knight who had been laid out on the table. As they watched, the armored figure slowly sat up, and spoke. “Who disturbs the slumber of this place?” The deep voice of the knight almost echoed in the space.

“Um, what should we do?” Molly asked. “We’ve never had a conversation with a corpse before.”

“I am a Draugr, a type of Revenant, Not a corpse.” The night replied. “Why have you invaded my barrow?”

“You’re a Barrow-Wight?” Sam asked.

The self-proclaimed Draugr shook its head slowly, “Where do children get such nonsense? Draugr. Wights’ are a type of spirit, no flesh.” It took off its helmet, showing a bearded face with flesh the color of a dark bruise. “Now, back to my question. Why. Are. You. Here?”

Hesh stood straight and stepped forward, “We are here to cleanse the undead from this place; to send them on to the next world!”

“HA!” The Draugr exhaled a barking laugh, and the putrid smell of rotting flesh and death spewed forth from his mouth. “Well said, male child from another world. But, how do the three of you children think you will do that when the power of the gods is slowly leaking from your very souls?”

The children froze, Molly bent over post puke and Sam in mid puke. Hesh the only one still standing tall. Hesh growled at the Draugr, “I am HESHE. I am neither a male child, or a female one. Do not lump me in either category!”

Molly spat out the remains of what was in her mouth, grabbed Sam, and bolted from the door. “Crap. It’s just like school last year. Hesh is going to blow. God only knows what will happen in this world; it’s not going to be just broken lockers and jock bodies on the floor today.”

-

Mil looked at Sarah and Pendelton, “Did you two feel that just now? That tug on your soul?”

Sarah and Pendleton nodded.

“Run.” The tree coursed.

-

Hesh grabbed the lines of magic they felt; no, that they could finally see; running throughout the fort below and graveyard above. They grabbed them, and pulled. The Draugr staggered back, eyes wide and mouth agape.

“I. Will pull. The power. From your CORPSE!” Hesh hissed. The magical lines they could see supporting the Draugr snapped, and it dissolved into a puddle of goo on the floor. Hesh moved their hands around in the winding pattern used to make a ball of string, then shoved the “ball” into their chest, and collapsed.

-

Morning had broken when Hesh finally awoke, and sat up. Around them Molly and Sam were busy making breakfast. “What happened?” they asked, head throbbing to the beat of a very inconsistent drum.

Molly looked over, “Took you long enough.” She brought over a bowl of oatmeal that smelled like heaven. “After you…is ate the right word? Anyway, after you ate the magic that was fueling that thing down there, the map we’ve been following went crazy, then pointed us in another direction. I think you killed the graveyard here. Or at least the magic that was keeping it going?”

“So, like last year at school, just worse?” Hesh asked.

“No one died last year, so I guess?” Molly looked around. “I mean, instead of broken lockers, we have broken towers everywhere, and the ground has caved in in several spots?”

Hesh nodded, “You two okay?”

Sam snorted, “Yeah, we’re fine.” He gave a wry smile, “I think your dad would have been proud of you last night, standing up for yourself and all that.”

Hesh nodded, a single tear running down their cheek. “Thanks Sam.”

-

Three days had passed since the fort’s collapse, and the party was now heading northeast. Hesh had recovered the Draugr’s armor and sword; Molly had found a small chest that contained some gold and a few empty potion vials as well as a small, but powerful crossbow; and Sam had decided to pick up a spear and shield. As they walked, Hesh was in the middle of teaching the other two how to feel the magic around them when it happened.

“Drop your weapons!” A voice called out from behind some underbrush.

“The three stopped, and Molly shouted, “No!”

A group of men; most wearing coats of small metal plates badly stitched to layered cloth and a few just wearing layered cloth, but all carrying weapons; stepped from the brush in front, and behind, them. One of the group, the voice being the same as before, said, “Drop your weapons and all of your gear, or we will kill you and take it!”

Sam threw his spear at the speaker, hitting him center of mass, and dropped him. Molly raised her crossbow and fired at one of the two behind the party. The quarrel hit the man in the throat, dropping him instantly. Hesh pointed a finger at the second one behind them and muttered a word. The man was then shrouded in a cloak of dark green mist, and began to scream as his clothing and flesh began to dissolve.

Sam smiled at the remaining three in front of him. “Run.”

The bandits looked at each other, and fled back into the underbrush, screaming about demons on the road.

Molly looked a Hesh, “That was…an interesting spell?”

Hesh shook their head, “It just came to me in the moment. No words, just a sudden impression, an insight maybe? Say this word while designating your target and they will be engulfed in a cloud of lethal acid.”

Sam turned around and looked at the still melting pile of flesh that used to be a man, “That…looks like it hurt.”