Thomas
Terros

As Thomas left his home and his companion he thought of the words Dorin left him with. “Live” he would say,” Even when it hurts you should live. Life is about pain and healing. Our bodies hurt but we heal so will your heart.” Thomas could still feel the old man’s warm leathered hand touch his heart as he remembered Dorin’s words. Thomas knew what to do, he had to live. He chose to conquer Terros and Live. This is his quest.

Thomas was no longer a young man by the time he reached Terros’s edge. He was a man well into his adult life at 25 years old Thomas was worn and weathered his body blanketed with scars from his many battle as well as his long journey to Terros. His short-cropped hair now sits atop of his head a tangled mess of long black tendrils expertly hidden under a tattered wide brimmed hat. Thomas’s face leathered, and dripping with sweat as he moves towards the summit of Mount Terros. His once adolescent face now cloaked in a bristly bush of a beard, His face aged and battered. Thomas takes precautions and covers his dry, cracked, and swollen mouth with a bandana. Thomas dreads entering the noxious fumes emanating from the bubbling lava of Mount Terros. Thomas remembers the tales his dear friend delighted him with about the deadly pockets and bubbles of noxious fumes that emanate from the lava river, these tales would be Thomas’s map, his old friends spirit his guide, through the treacherous terrain of Mount Terros.

Finally reaching Terros Thomas moved cautiously over the rocky earth his Mule complaining with each step. As Thomas dismounted from his stead he led the beast upon the path. The volcanic ground quivered and shook as the Mountain spewed forth a thick gray cloud of smoke with dancing embers of ash flickering in the dark night. Thomas felt sleep sweep over him like a thief in the night. He tied his mule to the nearest rock with an expertly tied knot. Feeling confident the beast would not run-away Thomas laid his head upon his bed roll and let the darkness engulf him as he slept. His dreams were filled with fire and smoke he could hear voices but no words. He reached for the sound and fell upon nothing. Thomas cried out into the darkness and ran toward the reply. Just as Thomas was reaching the voices in the darkness a crack of Thunder and a torrent of rain awoke him from his restless slumber. Rain came down in sheets as Thomas untied his stead and began to move further up the mountain. Thomas’s cloths hung, filled with the weight of the rain he moved sluggishly up the jagged edges of the Mountains side. Thomas was moving slowly forward when the Mountain belched and spit shaking his unstable footing and sending him careening into his Ass. The mule let out a loud braying cry as he tumbled into the molten lava. Thomas scurried to his helpless companion. When Thomas reached the beast, it was too late the liquid fire melted the poor animal into a slurry as he sunk slowly into its molten embrace. Thomas grip held firm to the last piece of rope left from the beasts yoke he slunk to his knees in grief and exhaustion as the steam from the animal’s demise billowed around his head filling his eyes with tears and his heart with abandonment. Thomas righted himself and wiped his ash covered face leaving black streaks down his cheeks, Thomas moved on more determined to live. “I swear Terros I will live, I will live for Dorin and now for my poor companion Deter. You will not best me Mountain.” Thomas shook his balled fist into the sky and bellowed his vow to this wicked elevation that stands stoically mocking Thomas.

Thomas walked for hours in the grey and hazy atmosphere around the mountains sharp rocky landscape. He felt his heart sinking with each step as his bearings became disoriented and confused. He stopped for a moment and surveyed his surroundings He could see nothing but grey at his every turn. Thomas decided to continue and move forward so with a heavy heart and aching skull he battled on. Thomas continued to walk on straight into the fog that led directly into a field of wild plants. Each color burst forth like a beacon in the gray surroundings Thomas was curiously drawn to their prismatic hues. He moved cautiously but steadily forward as he drew near he could see something that would make the strongest man quiver in fear. The beautiful blooms opened their lively petals delicately revealing a burbling stew of digestive acid and razor-sharp pincers for holding its prey. These visions of beauty were deadly killers with blood on their minds and a ravenous hunger to satisfy. Thomas was their unwilling prey, He moved with new found vigor as he dodged the plants incoming attacks. Thomas brandished his long sword he carries upon his mighty back and vanquished his vegetable foes. With each parry and thrust Thomas felt the pain of loss leaving his body. Thomas heard a scream crying through the air. Thomas listened as he battled on when he finally realized the scream was coming from his own mouth. This realization fueled the scream and sent the sorrowful sound to echo across Terros. Thomas was letting go as he hacked his way to life.

“I WILL LIVE!!!” Thomas cried and he ran up the mountains side throwing his body up each craggy mound and each jagged cliff Thomas strove on. Thomas’s body was racked in pain as he made his way to the top of this beastly foothill, Thomas sat down upon the hot volcanic rocks and breathed. As he took in his victory over Mount Terros a growling rumble began billowing on the wind. Thomas stood battle-ready his body rigid with adrenaline he listened. The beast’s cries grew louder and then came the sound like enormous wings beating the air and coming closer to Thomas. Thomas drew his sword and shield and waited for the demon to arrive, Thomas didn’t have to wait long the beast crested the Mountains top and face to face Thomas stood to a Dragon.

The demon’s eyes dilated and narrowed looking for Thomas within the heavy sulfuric smog encompassing the mountains peak, as it searched the dragon held its head high and bellowed a cry that quaked Thomas’s bones and deafened his ears. Thomas clutched his head and fell to the mountains solid floor his ears ringing and his bones resonating with the sound of the beast’s wail. When Thomas was almost able to move he suddenly felt a heavy wallop to his mid-section depleting his lungs of vital oxygen. Gasping Thomas went soaring through the sky and crashed upon a Stalagmite column. The sickening Thud sound knocked Thomas’s mind to a jumble as he tried to straighten himself and fended off the beasts next attack. Shaking his head Thomas collected his wits and began to plan his first assault upon this demon. The Dragon began to scramble to replace the root of his disruption. Slashing its mighty tail and gnashing his teeth the Dragon is on the hunt for Thomas. Cleverly Thomas hides among the Stalagmites littering the peaks landscape. When Thomas sees his one chance, looking up at the beast Thomas sees the left eye is damaged and blinded most likely from a long-ago battle. Finding the weakness Thomas reaches silently for his bow and quiver, he gently removes an arrow from its quiver and pulling back on the bow aims for the beasts blinded eye. Thomas says a silent prayer for strength and holds his breath the moment lasts for an eternity as thoughts of Deter the mule, Dorin the Conqueror of Terros, Mary the kitchen maid and finally The Angelic Annalise. The arrow soared through the sky and with keen accuracy Thomas’s arrow strikes sure and true piercing the Dragon’s sightless eye. The beast lunges back retreating to coddle its wounded eye. Thomas takes advantage of his foes pain and unleashes his sword on the unprotected belly of the beast. Thomas’s speed surprises the Dragon and even as Thomas eviscerates the beast the Dragon lunges to strike Thomas to no avail. The serpents body lay filleted open, dead and silent, Thomas holds his bloody sword to the heavens and Wails. The exhaustion is too much for Thomas and with his last screams leaving his body he collapses and slumbers atop his slain Demon. Thomas was free he slept deep and peacefully.

The morning sun shone on Thomas’s face lighting up his eyelids with golden rays, Thomas groans and slides off the decaying beast to meet the morning free and reborn the new Conqueror of Terros. Thomas skinned and cleaned what he could of the Dragons carcass and loaded up his replaceings into his leather satchel as he headed back down to the tavern in the lovely town of Terros leaving his defeated Demons behind him to rest upon the peak of Mount Terros.

Thomas had no troubles leaving Mount Terros as all the demons and beasts of this place feared the Silent Stranger who defeated the Devil and lived to tell the tale. Thomas moved quickly to the Town of Terros stopping only once to pay respects to Dorin and leave the dragons Tooth behind as a gift to the true hero of Terros. Thomas stood up from his kneeling position and wiped away the last tears he would shed for Dorin and the mule, Deter and his new way of living.

The tavern doors opened with a light creak and a loud gust of wind as the Silent stranger, the peoples champion emerged a new hero the Conqueror of Terros, the gasp in the bar was audible as the bar maid dropped her tray of goods with the sight of him. The boy was no longer a boy but a man of 35, his brown beard streaked with white speaking of great endeavors, his leathered face a map of his journeys with scars telling tale of his victories, and yet the maid knew his eyes eager and full of wisdom. When she was sure of who this stranger was she whispered softly to the barkeep and his eyes widened with the news. The peoples’ Champion has returned as the conqueror of Terros can it be? Is it really the scrawny farm boy? Thomas took Dorin’s usual spot next to the warm hearth and found the pipe Dorin once enjoyed and loaded it with the weed Dorin once grew and laid-back dreaming of his old friend and their meeting nearly 8 years earlier.