RICKETY RICKETY RICKETY

The wheels of the cart cracked and creaked. The horse pulling the passenger cart snorted as it pulled up in Illindor.

Illindor is a small-town Northeast of Caeropolis.

Caeropolis is the capitol city of Quaydosia, the eastern continent of Darlunia.

Fredgar Brandybottom, the halfling, stepped off the cart. The day was dreary. A light rain speckled the puddles it had formed on the road. He had been listening in on conversations of the other passengers, they seemed to be in a bit of a panic. The panic had stemmed from tales and whispers of dark creatures hunting and eating people at night.

"Well, I hope I don't meet any of those while I'm here," he thought to himself. He looked up at what would be his home for the next few days, The Fizzy Dragon Inn.

This is where his quest had brought him, hot on the trail to free the Champions of Darlunia. This is where the wizard, Gerald Whitburrow will tell him where to find them.

A shiver shot through his body.

"Hey, you going inside or what? It's chilly out here," a voice from his belt said, it was Axium one half of his dagger.

"I like it out here stay out here," the other half of his dagger Aquium replied.

"Do you guys have a name as one dagger?" Fredgar asked them realising he'd never thought about it before.

"The Balance, Equilibrium or Frostfire. You know Fire and Ice power and stuff," they replied in unison.

Fredgar pushed open the Inn door. The smell of stale beer filled his nose. He walked through the bar and surveyed the room. In the corner sat an old gentleman with a pint of beer, across the table from him there was a smaller mug. The old man stood up and beckoned the halfling over.

"Welcome sir, I'm Gerald Whitburrow and I believe you wanted to talk to me about the Undead wars."

"I did. I'm on a quest to help free the champions of Darlunia. Valkis has need of his axe,” replied Fredgar.

"Ahh...now, I'm not sure about his axe. You may have better luck talking to the Caeropolis guard. The guard have teams of elite soldiers that go and find these types of artifacts. In fact, one of them should be here in a day or two. I don't know if you've heard but there are dark creatures here," Gerald prattled on for what seemed like hours without actually saying anything of interest at all.

"Well, I better be off, I have somewhere to be," he eventually said standing up.

The old man stumbled off and out of the door.

"We can feel something not right with that guy. He gives off an evil aura it's only slight though," Frostfire whispered from Fredgars belt.

Fredgar noticed that the man had left a small book on the table next to where he'd been sitting. Picking it up, Fredgar made for the door to return it. Not being a big drinker, his legs fumbled beneath him. He stumbled and fell into a fellow patron.

"Watch where you're going little man," complained the drunk. Followed by a sharp shove in Fredgars chest.

"I apologise," said Fredgar.

"Don't apologise to this guy he shouldn't have been in your way," Came from the halflings belt.

Fredgar looked down at his belt.

"Shhh...you'll get us into trouble."

"This guy couldn't do anything to you. He's an ugly, toothless drunk," replied the daggers.

"He's an ugly, toothless drunk? He has nothing to lose then," argued the halfling.

"You what?" The Drunk looked puzzled while the halfling stood talking to his belt.

A chair slammed into Fredgar's face with a force that hit him across the bar room and under a table. He pulled out Frostfire and split them up. Staggering to his feet, he blinked a few times and aimed Axium at toothless. A beam of fire shot from it and drenched the drunk in flames. The man screamed and dropped to the floor, rolling about trying to put himself out.

"Aquiums turn!" The intoxicated halfling shouted.

It was a good thing he had used the other dagger now, it put the flames out quite quickly. Tooth less’s friend jumped over the table and grabbed Fredgar by the throat and hand. Axium dropped to the floor with a bounce and slid under a chair. Tooth less’s friend had more teeth but was missing half his ear.

The guy noticed the book on the floor under the table and picked it up.

"Missing something little man?" The man ripped a page from it as he said it.

Fredgar picked up Axium, aimed Aquium and in a matter of seconds the fight was over. Stood in the middle of the bar, was a frozen statue of Earless. Fredgar pried the book from his fingers.

"It's okay, he'll thaw out in a few hours. He'll be fine," said Aquium.

The door swung open. A chilly wind swept through the room. Everybody turned to the door.

"Just me sorry I think I left my.... What happened in here?" Gerald looked around shocked.

Holding up the book, Fredgar called "Here."

Gerald appreciatively took the book. As a reward for handing, it over, he gave him a small vial of yellow liquid. He didn't tell him what it was though, which concerned Fredgar a bit, being yellow and liquid.