Narrative

A poster fluttered against a pole, ignored by all who passed by. Merchants wheeled their carts along the cobbled street, watching out with glaring eyes for thieves and pickpockets. Chatter rose like bubbles from the crowd, everyone talking about the fate of the previous adventurers. Everyone had seen them, striding into town, clad in leather and chain-mail, full of confidence and bravado. Now they lay dead, somewhere cold and lonely, far afield. They had laughed right in the demon queen’s face, came one whisper. They tried to fight her armies without aid, came another. But no matter the differing rumours, one thing was acknowledged amongst every towns-person: Anyone journeying to the Demon kingdom was a fool. Well, almost every towns-person.

A girl, a little shorter than average, with shiny green eyes and a lilac pixie cut, stood at a medical stall, thoughtfully deliberating items and prices. She stared for a second longer, hands planted firmly on her slim hips, then realised she was keeping the other customers waiting and quickly made her decision. She handed over the money and tucked the items carefully into her bag before hurrying away, pausing only to glance at the poster still flapping against the pole it was nailed to. Once she had found whatever she needed on there, she slipped amongst the crowd and was gone.

At another stall, a tall, elderly man was buying important looking books. They were heavy and imposing, much like his beard, and each held a different magical sigil. The man stowed the books into the recesses of his deep blue robe, thanked the merchant and strode away, leaning on his twisted wooden cane. Despite his height and powerful gait, he managed to completely vanish in the market’s rush.

A nimble fingered man lurked in the shadows of a stall, waiting for his perfect moment. Only pausing to wink at a girl who happened to catch his eye, he slipped forwards, weaving between the small group of customers and snagging a quiver of arrows. He pulled the quiver over his shoulder and ducked behind a different stall, a gleam in his eye. Freeing his hair from between the quiver strap and his back, he skulked between stalls, walking only in shadow until he disappeared altogether.

On the edge of the market place, close to the inner city, a small building sat unnoticed by the city’s population. The windows were boarded, the door stiff and rusty, and the roof peppered with holes. It looked as though no-one had been inside for years, and yet beyond the ivy-covered walls and peeling paint was a gathering. A gathering of utter secrecy, and complete confidence, though you couldn’t tell to look at it. The inside of the building was as disappointing as the outside: a single room, bereft of furniture save for produce crates overturned to form a makeshift table and chairs. A fireplace long since cold, and spiderwebs in every corner. The only light came from the cracks in the window boards, and no candle was lit. The room was almost completely dark. Around the makeshift table sat a group of people, leaning in and whispering conspiratorially. They emptied their bags on the table, seemingly comparing items. Hushed arguments filled the air, arguments over size, need, resources. One figure, one who stood above the rest despite being sat on a similar crate, drummed his fingers on the crate next to him, where no-one was sat. While the others continued to whisper, the tall figure glanced at the door, almost nervously. As they did so, the door was flung open, and the whispers were silenced, the sudden rush of sunlight harsh in the dark room. Then the door was eased shut, silently, and the room was dark once more. A new figure had entered, and sat on the spare crate, emptying their bag onto the table too. Some more whispering ensued, more animated, more excited. Hands gestured in the air, whispers became murmurs. An agreement was reached, hands were shaken, bags were refilled. The figures stood up and, one by one, stole out of the crumbling meeting place into the bright sunlight, brushing cobwebs from their hair and dust from their hands. They hurried down alleyways, weaving through the maze-like streets, choosing erratic directions to try and shake off any pursuers. In the end, though, they regrouped. The purple haired girl, the bearded man, the long haired thief, and two others. A tall, tanned, muscular man, and a woman in armour. Both bore swords.

They walked a little further, until the cobblestones of the city faded into the soft grass of the woods. They paused at the treeline, trepidation entering their hearts. They all knew what had happened to their predecessors, and yet here they were, the next group to take on the demon queen. She was famed far and wide for her cruelty, her lies and her manipulation, and this team of heroes were determined to stop it. The wizard, who’s name was Arthur, pulled a thick book from his robes, bound in green leather and stamped with the sign of a leaf. Arthur opened the book and addressed the rest of his team.

“My friends, we journey together to reach the demon queen, to end her cruelty and free the realm of her grasp. We must journey through the woods, teeming with magical creatures who will no doubt attempt to hinder our progress. We must be aware. The groups before us were unwise, unprepared, unaware of the dangers they would face in the woods. We are not. We have been preparing for many months, and we fill not fall victim to nature’s traps.”. His companions nodded solemnly, and the wizard continued. “I shall tell you of the creatures we will face beyond the trees, and the dangers they may pose. Listen well, friends. First there are pixies. Pixies are simple tree dwellers, with only enough magic to grow flowers and acorns. They stand at 13 inches tall, often wearing brown or green. They live to serve, often to their own destruction. Then there are fairies. We’ve all seen city fairies, but woodland fairies are very different. They’re smaller, with a wider wingspan, and their height is about that of a thumb. Instead of glowing red, woodland fairies glow green and blue, and are rude and unhelpful, except to children. Do not eat anything they offer you. Next there are elves. Elves are much taller, they are the size of a young child, but they wear much the same things as a pixie. They are malicious, everything they tell you will be a lie, and they will deliberately antagonise you. Be aware. Brownies are also in these woods, but they will help you as much as they can. They are 7 inches tall, and often dress like a leaf, so they can hide better. They are kind, helpful creatures who want to assist. Imps are of various sizes, and will pull your hair or bite your ankles, but they aren’t especially serious dangers. And of course, avoid stepping on wildlife such as hedgehogs or frogs, lest you turn the whole wood against you. Now, let us journey. The path on the other side of the woods is more treacherous than the one within.”. With that, the team of heroes, steeped in the glowing orange of the setting sun, walked into the forest, their hearts in their mouths.