( This Isn't going how you think it will)
A loud ding rang in his head like the chime of some bell, looking around in a panic Tristan tried to discover the source of the noise, he glanced around try to find where it came from before finding a few lines of text appear before his vision. It looked like a signboard but glowed with a light he couldn't describe, as he tried to read it he heard a vaugely feminine voice read out the words as he saw them appear.
[Crack Fang wolf lv2 has been slain
Received 240 xp allocating xp
Error host doesn't have apparatus receptical.
"Error null detected, administrator has decided to Grand apparatus to ...
Target vanished terminated error"
Tristans face contorted in all sorts of confused and frantic expressions before he was suddenly struck with an overwhelming terror as if the entire world had suddenly set its sights on him and sentences him to death like one would swat a fly that was deemed too annoying to exist. Then the feeling spontaneously vanished as a second window of purple etched with golden letters appeared in his vision atop of the strange white and blue window.
{{Don't worry kid I removed that apparatus thing for you, a nasty curse that one is it would only hurt you in the long run. Don't panic I made it look like you got terminated so don't freak out, just don't get caught by that admin. Hehe
Anyway take care and get yourself some money ya broke ass bitch, a merchant ain't nothin without some coin to spend ain't that right
Regards- Gold
-Merchant of the Caravan}}
"What the hell?!" Tristan muttered reading the golden letters that were deathly silent in comparison to the strange voice he gust heard, he shuttered at the thought of termination and the mention of curse baffled him. " What is this crap is this some sort of magic bulshit, what is going on?" His understanding of the world slowly crumbled around him the messages slowly disintigrating into small motes of light. The last part of the message hanging in the air as the rest of it faded,seemingly waiting for him to read it a second time before it vanished. The line about a merchant needing coins seemed to resonate with him before it completely disappeared. Only a single mote of gold seemed to linger around before flying toward the dagger loosely clutched in his hand. Only now he noticed there was a small phrase etched into the blade that he red as carefully as he could. Strangely the words seemed of some forien language but he still understood their meaning as if he had a translator stuck in his head.
'Of the merchants path few follow what is common, for those who forage the unknown a traveler you might be known, a token of safe passage to gaurd from all those that seek you harm.' The words seemed laced with a hint of mystery but the situation screamed danger in Tristans mind. The words were carefully etched into the surface of the plain yet strikingly ornate blade. It seemed to be made of silver at second glance with the etching of a horse and wagon inlaid with worn gold in the blades guard, a ornate C was carved into the pommel with a length of thick cloth wrapped around the blades handle.
He Tried to push the thoughts from his mind as if this was all just a crappy dream but after he slapped his face a few times and felt the stinging pain a aghast look speared on his face. " What in the world has happened to me, I've been kidnapped and some form of magic tried to kill me!" He shuddered at the feeling he had experienced only moments ago." I thought magic was fake like some story you used to tell your children like a which would eat them if they didn't act right what the hell is this!" He seemed to slump over at his situation cursing whatever force had kidnapped him and thrown him in this strange place. " Did..." He hesitated at the thought " did those kidnappers actually help me would I of, . . . Ben cursed if they didn't intervene or would it have been." He shook the thought from his mind resolveing to find out what in the world is going on.' I've only just escaped with my life I can't dispare just yet think about everything you've gone through this is just another setback.' he studied himself as he thought back to the countless brushes with death he had gone through to get where he was, the robbers, bandits, assassin's. Wilderness, he's almost starved to death in the streets and the wilds all the same this was just another obstacle to overcome.
With a newfound resolve he sorted himself out in this unfamiliar situation, he checked what he had on him only to sigh right after " the strange message was right I'm broke as crap." He had an empty money pouch on his waste and a leather belt around his waste that connected to a pair of leather straps that resembled suspenders that his knife was sheathed in. Besides that he had nothing else on his person, looking around his surroundings he could faintly see what looked like a wall off in the distance. 'A city perhaps?' he thought for the moment about his current circumstances, 'at least they didn't leave me in the middle of absolute nowhere." Seeing the sun slightly crooked overhead he couldn't tell if it was before noon or after but he decided to assume it was afternoon. " Looks about 5 kilometers out I should be able to get there by night fall but." Thinking about the messages insistence on money he thought about what to do. ' I'll need at least a few coins to sleep in an inn but.' pausing in his train of thought he found himself stupid. " Meat and fur must be at least a few coins worth right?" As if he had been brought back to his old life he could almost hear the faint clinking of coins as he decided to push the tree off of the Wolf he had just defeated. ' looks like I'll have some use for you Mr. Wolf your sacrifice won't be in vain.' with some effort he managed to roll the log over and take hold of the wolfs corpse. With a big heave he luged the thing onto his sholder as he tried to make his way towards the distant city. He only had to stop once or twice to catch his breath wondering how such a frail wolf was so heavy before picking it back up to continue his journey, after about two hours he had finally reached about a hundred meters from the city taking note of its appearance.
" It's smaller than I thought it was looks more like a town than a city though those walls are something else." From up close the walls looked about 10 meters high with guards walking around it's edge, he could roughly see another gate off in the distance but decided to try his luck walking through this one. There was a small que of people and carts ahaid of him so he took some time to look at the people around him, he could de a farmer with rough clothes with what looked to be a cart of vegetables, a few people who looked like hunters of some kind, bows and swords hung on them, he even saw another who looked like a tanned Hercules carrying a large boar over his shoulder. While they wore light armor they actually looked a little similar to how he was dressed though he looked a little bit dirty in comparison from the dust of the Forrest floor. ' seems I won't look too suspicious at the very least.' as the cue filled forward he was soon greeted by a guard in rough chainmail, with iron plates on his bracers and shins.
"Halt state your business.' the guard held out his hand abruptly causing Tristan to stop short of 3 meters from the man, deciding to try his luck at putting together a rough alibi he responded to the man.
" The names Tristan," he said asking a short breath. " I just came back from a hunt trying to exchange this bad boy right here." He said with a light grin on his face trying to give off the aura of a simple hunter who just had a successful hunt.
" Hmm, I've never seen you around here before huh" though he seemed a little questioning at the man's joyous behavior he didn't pay it to much mind.
Thinking quickly Tristan took note of the position of the sun he saw on the way over here, from the looks of it he has either entered the north or the south gate depending on how he looked at it so he took a gamble on it. " I usually come in the west gate but I was having some bad luck the past few days so I tried the forest on this side." He tried to make his response as normal as possible which seemed to work.
" Fair enough 2 copper coins to get in the town just as always."
Tristan tried to hide his shock as he put on a bit of a self deprecating smile," well ya see I kinda ran out of money the last few days, I haven't caught anything for a while ya know, But I got one this Time alright!" He tried to put on the act to hope the guard might show some pity.
" Tch dam hunters ya always drink more than ya can pay for huh. Fine I'll let you in but you better get me back for this one alright."
The gaurd had an annoyed expression on his face but he seemed used to hunters winding up dead broke and just decided to let it slide.
"Thank you so much I'll definitely pay you back for this!" Tristan beamed a real smile as he thanked the guard briefly asking for his name on his way in.
" It's John crowren you owe me a drink some time alright." He spoke sternly as he shook Tristan's hand with a firm grip.
"Most definitely John I'll see you around!" He waved as he marched his way into town thankful that he was able to actually get in without an issue.