Chapter 2: "Housewarming"
Grayson sighs,as he starts looking for a duster. He discovers one in a cupboard below the sink. As Grayson began dusting,small clouds began to form in the room,slowly falling to the floor to start coloring it a light shade of a dusty brown-grey over the dark oak wood.
Once all of the surfaces had been dusted,cobwebs collected and the house swept free of dust and debris,he came to rest much more greatfully on a clean bed,which was entrappingly soft.
Grayson's phone buzzes,to which he pulls it out and unlocks it.
*1* NEW MESSAGE FROM UNKNOWN
"I thought I didn't have service..." He gently muses,opening the message.
-If you are reading this,you need to beware your new town-mates. Their gossip is spreading,and it's getting bad really quick. Dont ask how I know,or who I am.-
+Who should I be concerned about,then? Do you have a name of the person i should be worried of?+
-Paris.-
*UNKNOWN has left the chat.*
It got blood chillingly silent...
Then the door emits a knock,causing Grayson to flinch some at the sudden disturbance. He warily approaches the door ,and opens it to meet a villager smiling warmly. She had steely grey eyes,black hair and lightly soot accented pale skin in a blacksmith's outfit. In her arms was a sword made of steel,with a strangely magical glint,"Happy housewarming! It's nothing much,but I hope this sword will serve you well." She said,extending it out to Grayson.
Gingerly he takes the blade,"Thanks.."
"Is everything okay? You seem nervous." The Blacksmith comments.
"I'll be fine...Just tired." Grayson said,attempting to be politely dismissive.
"In that case I won't hold you any longer. You'll have a couple more visitors bearing gifts,just to warn you." The Blacksmith said,walking away as Grayson closes the door. Once he closed the door he analyzed the sword.
It was beautifully made,with a simple,arrowhead type point followed with a cubically serrated blade. The handle was simple,carefully made to fit the hand perfectly and comfortably wrapped in leather to soften the wooden handle.
Grayson playfully slashed the air,to see a thin layer of fire suddenly roar off the blade,"Fire Aspect? I thought this was a bitch and a half to find..." He mused,as he settles the blade next to the door,ensuring it's fire was out.
For now,he settled in the kitchenette where the sword was close at hand...
He didn't like that message one bit...
He stared at the traded conversation between him and his digital messager.
'Why would Paris be the person I'm worried about...? Think...Thiink...'
A memory of their conversation came to mind...
'The uniform is for your safety,and so we can attend to you much faster.'
He takes off the robe,and starts searching it,to find a magic item of some kind in a hidden pocket. It distinctly resembled an insect with a golden body and purple rear. The item twitched.
"Nope."
He heads over to the window,and throws it into the open forest as strongly as he could feasibly manage,right as the door emitted another knock.
Grayson approached the door,opening it and keeping his hand close to the sword. It was one of the Farmers. She was tan skinned,with short blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She wore a sun stained coverall and white shirt,"Happy Housewarmin'. Im Helen,i live just a few yards away n' I thought about bringing over a nice box of my crops." She said,extending a large box of fresh grown veggies.
"Thank you,that actually saves me a lot of trouble. " Grayson said warmly.
"Glad to be of service. If you need anythin' don't be afraid to drop by."
"Oh- Before you leave,is this a tradition? The whole 'Happy Housewarming' thing? It's already kinda getting worn out." Grayson said.
"Well,sort of. It started a few weeks back. I reckon Paris was expectin' ya. Most folks just ended up moving in free of paperwork or payment before Paris took charge." Helen said.
"Again,thanks Helen. Stay safe." Grayson said as he dismissed the conversation politely.
"See ya 'round." Helen said as she returns home.
As soon as the door was closed,and the veggies set down,he sighs gently,"It hasn't even been a day and things are already going to shit...How could someone expect me to be here weeks in advance and know nothing of when or where I could arrive..?" He quietly questions,starting to burn out from the thought of what could happen next.
He dismisses it for now,hoping it was just someone trying to scare him.
The dreaded last knock came,and just like last time he approached and opened the door,hand close to the handle of his sword. It was the Armorer,who distinctly resembled the blacksmith in appearance. She didn't have anything important in her possession it seemed,until a modestly sized sack was held out.
Grayson accepts the small offering,opening it to reveal a couple hundred Emeralds. "It's nothing much,but it'll be how many emeralds you'll save coming to my Armory later. I might be able to fit you with some proper armor." She said,her voice notably low and smooth.
"Haven't I seen you before?" Grayson asked.
"You must be talking about my sister. Pay it no mind,a lot of families look the same around here." The Armorer said,dismissing herself a little quickly.
Grayson watched all the while,and eventually closes the door to look into the emerald sack. He gently shakes it,and a small folded slip of paper surfaces..
He opens the message.
'You need to leave while you can. It's not safe. Paris will tell the Queen of your existence. Meet me after curfew in my shop.'
He quickly crumples the note and stuffs it in his pocket. A heavy knock emits through the house..
Grayson locates a backpack and puts all he can to support his travel,and settles it out of the way to attend to whoever was knocking so heavily.
It was the Iron Golem,kneeling at the doorstep to be eye level. She slowly extends a rose.
Grayson stared at her,then the rose before taking it. "I hope you can find a home among us. We are genuinely good people." The Golem said.
"I know. Right now I'm just getting my bearings....and it's a lot to unpack in a short time." Grayson said.
"Its okay. Have a good rest." The Golem said gently,getting up and resuming her patrol.
Grayson closes the door again with a gentle sigh.
Once the rose was settled in a flower pot,Grayson locks the doors,and closes the blinds,all except the front window right next to the kitchenette. He starts fiddling about on his phone to pass the time.
As the sun came to set and bring the evening twilight,Grayson began to finish pulling together his provisions,and getting a map from the cartographer,he heads to the armor shop a few minutes before the sun would set and darken the world.
The shop slowly fell silent,until the Armorer and Grayson were the only ones there. "Now that we're alone,shall we get to work on the armor?" He asked.
"We shall,now hold still." She said as she pulls out a ruler about the height of an average human. After a few measurements,and a rather impressive display of the ruler's flexibility as she measured his hip width,it was time to craft armor.
There wasn't much to work with,so the Armorer pulled together a chestplate. As she helped him into it she began to address the dangers.
"Rule 1. It's dangerous at night. You WILL come across monsters.
Rule 2. If it hisses,run like hell and dont dare to look back. Greenskins are notorious for chasing prey a short distance before exploding."
"Greenskins?" Grayson questions as he cranes his neck over his shoulder as she was working on the backstrap to be in self maintainable reach.
"Half-Creeper Humans. The sort of creature to really be scared of more than a common Creeper.
Which brings me to Rule 3. If the dark stares at you,DO NOT and i repeat,DO NOT stare back. It will be the last thing you see.."
"Great...a reason to fear the dark too." Grayson mutters.
"Rule 4. If you hear the rattle of bones,make for cover.
And lastly Rule 5. Go for the head." The Armorer said as she got the last of the Chestplate's back on.
"Sounds like the two sided sword your sister gave me."
The leather neck support tightens slughtly,choking him some,"Watch it,bub. This is not a game."
"Okay! Okay,Uncle!" Grayson said,his voice strained.
The support releases.
"Good. Doing that here is as good as striking Achilles on the heel if you aren't careful."
He was released from the armor fitting rack.
"Now,get going,you've got a long road ahead."
With that demand,Grayson grabs his sword and bag,and heads off into the night...
"I hope you can come to save us..." The Armorer said softly after him as he disappears into the night.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone