Chapter 1: A Strange Friend

Chapter 1: A Strange Friend

Rictolm looked up into the sky. It was high noon, and his gourd of fresh water had run dry long ago.
"Great...", he mumbled to himself, "Why is my luck so horrible?"
He continued onward through the blazing desert, unused to the dry, arid climate of this desolate wasteland. Nothing like the lusch jungles of his home. He sighed as he trudged over the most recent of many large sand dunes. As he climbed over the top, Rictolm spotted a village. It looked as if it was molded right up from the sand, and he first thought that it was simply a mirage. However, he had to be certain.
He raced down the embankment as fast as he could without falling, praying that the village, if there was one, was rich with precious, life-giving water. The image solidified and he raced harder to reach the small city. Few people were out at such a scorching time of day, so Rictolm had no trouble locating the well. He threw the bucket in, and pulled it up just as quickly. He grabbed the bucket and stuffed his face in...only to be met with sand. He coughed and sputtered, trying to get the grains and the horrible, salty taste out of his mouth. He sighed, and walked over towards a building with sign now unrecognizeable because of many sandstorms and dust devils.
By pure happenstance, Rictolm wandered into the inn, which was almost as deserted as the environment outside. A few goblins sat in the corner, playing a simple card game. A female elf lounged in a chair, tipping back a glass filled with a strange, dark liquid Rictolm had never seen before. He walked up to the bar, where a human clad in nomad robes stood, cleaning off the counter from the last customer, who Rictolm surmised that either had to be the elf or someone in the rooms upstairs. Rictolm sat at the bar.
"Got any water?"
"Yeah, but I'm sad to say it'll cost ya. The well's dried up, so there's not much water left.", said the bartender.
"That's alright, I've got gold."
"Gold is always acceptable currency."
The bartender poured Rictolm a glass of brown, murky water. While it may not have looked appitizing, Rictolm was in no position to argue, and gulped it down agressively.
"So what's caused the recent dry spell?" Rictolm inquired.
"Well, we're not entirely sure, but we think it has something to do with an evil spirit stopping the flow of the underground lake to the surface."
"Is there anything that can be done about it?"
"Well, sure, someone could go unplug the lake through the cave entrance a mile to the east, but people are afraid of the spirit inside. Someone tried to go in, but after a bloodcurdling scream and a few body parts the only trace of the man, no one else volunteered. Most people have given up and left this town for 'greener pastures'."
"That's sad to hear. Mind if I try to rid you of the spirit?"
"Why not? But I won't be retrieving your body."
"Thanks for the encouragement..."
"Just don't say I didn't warn ya..."
Rictolm walked back out into the sun. Pointing himself east, he wandered until he found the cave. Rictolm thought that nothing looked out of place, so he wandered in. Using a small fire spell to light his path, he explored the cave, and eventually found the underground lake. He looked to the lake's edge, and found a small river that ran from the lake. About five hundred feet off, however, a large pile of stones blocked the river off.
"Hmm, must have been a small earthquake."
As he spoke, he felt a strange presence behind him. Whipping around, he came face to face with a 20 foot hydra. However, it only had three heads, telling Rictolm that it was just an adolescent. It reared back, and tried to rip Rictolm apart.
Rictolm reacted as fast as he could, but the creature was faster. It tore at his robes, leaving long, jagged gashes in the clothing, and cleaving Rictolm's hat in two. The moster struck again, but Rictolm was ready this time with a barrage of fireballs. The hydra, severly burnt from the assault, retreated into the water, but Rictolm summoned incredible amounts of heat from the sands overhead, and heated up the lake. The monster boiled in it's sanctuary, and soon jumped out. As the creature leapt from the lake, Rictolm transfered all the heat from the lake into the hydra, causing it to spontaneously combust. Rictolm was showered in steaming chunks of hydra meat. He sighed again.
"Just another one of those days..."
Using the lake, Rictolm cleaned himself off. However, he sensed another being in the cave. He turned around to suprise the creature, but to his suprise, there was no one there. He then felt a sudden clawing at his garments, and something quickly scrambling up his back. He tried to reach for the thing, but it dodged his clawings. As it perched upon his shoulders, he saw a slightly hairy foot on his shoulder, then a yellow-eyed, brown-haired, scruffy looking halfling that was part wolf and part human. The creature had a wide grin upon his face, and poked Rictolm in the snout.
Creature:"Hey, you killed the big monster! Hooray for you!"
Rictolm:"I would appreciate it if you would climb down from my shoulders and tell me who you are."
Creature:"That's no fun. But my name's Perrin, if you want to know."
Rictolm:"Quite an interesting name, Perrin."
Perrin:"Hey, can I go along with you?"
R:"Well...why not, there's no harm in that. But you will have to pull your own weight."
P:"That's alright, me mum said I was strong for my age."
R:"Well, we better head back to the town to get my reward."
P:"Uhhh, I don't know if that's advisable. The town doesn't really like me."
R:"And why's that?"
P:"I...uh...I've been kinda having to forage for myself around here, and people don't appreciate when you take without paying."
R:*sigh* "Figures. Well, I'm sure if you're with me, they'll forgive your debt."
P: "Alright, let's be off then!"

END OF CHAPTER 1