The TriadCity Adventurer

All the News that Causes Fits


From the Corner of My Eye

A short story
By Church
Month of Elephants 4, Year of the Rat 3

I have been an adventurer for a long time. I have been to many places and seen many things. Most of what I had seen I could easily explain. But here in TriadCity, I came across what to me, was the unexplainable.

It all started when I thought I saw something move. When I turned to look and saw nothing, I passed it off as simply my eyes playing tricks on me, but then I saw it again. Worried that I might be having health problems from my diet of Danishes, I took the Blue Line to the college of medicine for a full medical. They gave me a clean bill of health, but that didn't make me feel any better. If there was something moving that I was unable to see, I thought that perhaps there would be someone in the city that could see them. So, with this in mind, I began to wander the city seeking out those of knowledge in the hopes of finding the truth.

Chained to the top of a high pillar, Simon can see many things. It was to him that I went first. When I asked him about the things I could not see, he merely smiled at me and winked as garbage rained down on him from above. I had the feeling that he may have been able to see the things I sought, but did not find it his place to tell me of them.

I next sought out Tiresias, a man, who though blind, was said to have great vision. When I asked him about the things I could not see, he frowned at me and walked away. In hindsight, I guess asking a blind man about things that I can't see was not my best idea.

I spoke with every guild master I could find, but still did not have any clues as to what might be hiding just beyond my sight. As a last desperate effort, I made my way into the seldom explored alleys of the NorthEast in hopes of finding an underworld contact that would be willing to point me in the right direction - hopefully for a price that wouldn't involve selling my Southern condo.

It was in these dark and twisting passages that I learned of a man who could answer my question. He was an old adventurer that had put his exploring days behind him. He spent his time in the darkness of Mabaj Bot Ob.

Seeing as how the man I was to meet in the forsaken woods was not only old, but an adventurer as well, I planned ahead and brought several firebreathers with me. When I found him, he was looking into the depths of a dry fountain. I approached him slowly so as not to startle him, but also to give myself time to flee if he should prove violent. He seemed nice enough, if not a little crazy, and we spoke for some time about the things I could not see. He had seen them many times in his journeys throughout the city and had several theories on what they were. The idea he held to though, was that they were powerful stealth robots programmed by the central computer to hunt him down for his crimes - as I mentioned, he seemed a bit crazy. He couldn't explain why it was that they had never managed to catch him, but he would offer no other solutions. He was nice enough however, to point me in the general direction of one of his old traveling companions who had some different theories.

On the advice of the old man, I sought out Francois Prelati. He was hard to track down as he seemed to be wandering the NorthEast randomly. He gave me an approving look as I approached him, so I was hopeful of finally getting some solid answers. Francois claimed that he had indeed seen things that no one else could see. He claimed that they were restless spirits that were wandering the city in hopes of finding someone who could see them. I had wanted to call him crazy, but the conversation had been more tiring than I thought, and I found myself unable to say anything back to him. Seeing that I wasn't going to interrupt him, he went on about numerous topics about which I cared little. Eventually I must have fallen asleep and he was gone when I awoke.

 

For all my effort I had only two possible answers, and sadly neither sounded plausible to me. I made my way back to the Temple of the King so that I could rest and organize my thoughts. Surely there had to be a solution that would make sense. But what could it be? At this point, I decided I may be in need of some better guidance. I went to the NorthWest and sought out Friar Tuck in hopes of gaining some direction. Tuck smiled when I asked him about the things in the corner of my eye, and seemed pleased to talk about it. He sat in the middle of the street with me, and talked at great length about the Three Gods. He explained that the things I saw were the Gods traveling about the city to keep an eye on their worshipers. The more he talked about it, the more I began to believe him and I walked away feeling a sense of peace.

As I returned to the Temple of the King, I once again saw something moving from the corner of my eye. I turned my head and strained my eyes hoping to catch a glance of one of the Gods. As my eyes focused, I saw, not a god, but rather a piece of dust floating through the air. Could it be that I had missed the Gods, or had I been seeing bits of dust the whole time? What about all the explanations I had been given? Was there no truth to them?

As a final attempt to gain the truth, I took my new found knowledge and once again sought out Tiresias. I asked him about the locations of stealth bots, restless spirits, and the Gods. He mostly answered in nonsense, but I did hear him mention something about stealth. If this was in fact the answer I sought, the easiest way to find out would be to commit a crime.

I spent the better part of the Great Cycle furthering my training as a warrior so that I might survive my attempt at crime. When I felt that I was ready, I walked into the Black Plaza at high noon and drew my sword. To the dismay of those around me I struck down a busy shopper in cold blood. I wasn't sure if anyone would consider the death of a shopper a crime - if they had been as rude to others as they were to me, many would think it quite just. But as I looked around me, I saw a Stormtrooper and a Sylvan Archer converging on my position. I fled the scene before they could catch me, but I made sure they got a good look at me so they would place my name on crime net. Now that I had been reported, all that remained was to wait.

I made my way along City Dump Road, keeping an eye out for any law enforcement. All I had to do was avoid them long enough for a stealth bot to track me down - provided that the old man had been saner than he had seemed.

Then it happened, I saw something move from the corner of my eye. The time had come to learn the truth at last. I drew my sword, and turned to face it.


Did you enjoy this article? Login to reward the author!


Not yet a member? Get started today!