180 Allegations
As the pebbles continued to fall, Eric couldn’t help but wonder how much longer he would be stuck in this cold, damp cell. The battle above seemed to have been raging on for hours now, and the noise was becoming almost unbearable. He tried to distract himself by reading through his status, hoping that perhaps he had missed something that would help him escape, but he quickly realized that there was nothing new to be found.
He stood up and paced back and forth, his boots echoing off the stone walls. He had already tried every possible position in which he could sit or lie down, but none of them provided any relief from the unrelenting boredom. He began to practice his footwork, imagining himself in a grand tournament with a crowd cheering him on. But as he continued to move around the small cell, he realized that his movements were becoming sluggish and he was growing tired.
He let out a long sigh and leaned against the cold stone wall, closing his eyes and trying to block out the sounds of the battle above. He could feel himself slipping into a state of despair, wondering when he would be freed.
“I wonder what Eli is doing?”
His thoughts turned to the orc girl, whose character seemed to match his own in so many ways. She was strong and confident, with a fierce determination that Eric found both inspiring and alluring.
As Eric scratched his cheek, he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to meet this orc girl in real life.
Click...
Suddenly, the lock of the cell was unlocked and a person wearing full metal armor came into the dimly lit room.
“Follow me!”
.....
Eric was led through the prison and as he entered another room, the heavy metallic door clanged shut behind him, echoing ominously in the dimly lit space. The room was sparsely furnished, containing only a plain wooden table and two metal chairs. A single, flickering light bulb hung overhead, casting harsh shadows across the angular features of the armored figure who had led him here.
“Sit”
The figure commanded, gesturing to one of the chairs with a gloved hand. Eric hesitated for a moment, studying the figure’s imposing form. The armor was matte black, with no identifying marks or symbols, and covered the figure from head to toe, leaving only their face obscured by a visored helmet.
Sensing Eric’s reluctance, the figure spoke again, their voice muffled slightly by the helmet’s filter.
“Sit, please. We have much to discuss.”
Eric nodded slowly and took a seat, eyeing the figure warily.
The armored figure took the seat opposite Eric, their movements precise and deliberate. For a few moments, there was only the sound of their breathing, amplified by the helmet’s filter. Finally, the figure spoke again.
“Tell me... How come the dragon that was usually passive, suddenly attacked the city?”
Eric snapped out from scanning the stranger’s armor and leaned back in his chair, trying to think of a believable excuse that’d allow him to avoid mentioning the egg he had stolen from the castle. He already stole it goddamn it, there was no way he would give it back!
Eric cleared his throat, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plausible explanation.
“Well, you see, as far as I know dragons have always been known to be quite temperamental. It’s possible that something may have set it off, like an unexpected noise or disturbance. Or perhaps someone else had provoked it before I arrived.”
The NPCs exchanged a look, clearly not fully convinced by Eric’s explanation.
“But we saw you running away from the dragon, are you sure there’s nothing you’re not telling us?”
Eric felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead as he tried to maintain his composure.
“I swear, I had nothing to do with it. I was just trying to stay alive like everyone else.”
The NPCs continued to eye him suspiciously, but after a moment, they seemed to accept his answer.
“Very well, we’ll continue our investigation to try and determine what caused the dragon to become aggressive. But if you hear or see anything that might be related to this, please let us know.”
Eric nodded, relieved that he had managed to dodge their questions. As he was escorted out of the prison, he made a mental note to be more careful in the future.
Eric gazed out at the destruction wrought by the dragon’s attack, a cold shiver running down his spine. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt, even though he knew he had nothing to do with the dragon’s sudden aggression. The sight before him was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. The once-bustling city was now nothing but a frozen wasteland, with buildings and homes turned into icy tombs.
As he walked down the deserted streets, he noticed that the destruction was not limited to just the buildings. The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow, with icy stalactites jutting out from the ground at odd angles. The few remaining NPCs were huddled together in small groups, trying to keep warm in the frigid air.
Despite the devastation, there was a strange beauty to the scene before him. The snow and ice sparkled in the weak sunlight, casting an otherworldly glow on the ruined buildings.
“Maybe I should’ve ran somewhere else...”
Eric couldn’t help but feel a sense of remorse as he walked through the snow-covered streets of the devastated city. The destruction was even worse than he had anticipated, and the sight of the injured and dying NPCs made his heart sink.
He had hoped that he could find a way to help, but as he looked around, he realized that he was out of his depth. He had no medical training or supplies, and he felt powerless in the face of such devastation.
As he walked past a group of guard NPCs huddled together, he overheard them discussing the dragon’s attack. They spoke in hushed tones, their voices filled with fear and uncertainty.
“I heard the dragon was after something specific...”
One of them said, her voice trembling.
“Something valuable that was stolen from the castle.”
Eric’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that the stolen egg was the likely target of the dragon’s attack, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit his involvement to these NPCs. He felt a pang of guilt, knowing that his actions had caused so much pain and suffering.
As he walked on, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had made a terrible mistake. Maybe he should have stayed hidden, or ignored the city and ran past it.
Suddenly, Eric noticed a strange azure liquid staining the ground.
“Dragon Blood?”
He followed the trail of azure liquid, his curiosity piqued. As he walked, the trail grew wider and more pronounced, until he came across the carcass of the Ice Dragon. The creature lay sprawled on the ground, its body twisted in an unnatural position. Eric approached cautiously, wary of the danger that lay before him.
As he drew closer, he saw that the dragon was covered in the same azure liquid that he had been following. The liquid glowed softly in the dim light, illuminating the dragon’s frozen scales.
He circled the dragon, examining its body for any clues about what had caused its death. As he did so, he noticed a glint of light coming from the dragon’s mouth. Curious, he approached the creature’s head and peered inside.
As he got closer, he could see that the spear was made of an unfamiliar metal, and the golden halfbred was adorned with intricate etchings and symbols. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe and reverence in the presence of such a powerful weapon.
Carefully, Eric reached out and grasped the golden halfbred. It was surprisingly lightweight in his hand, and he could feel a strange energy pulsing through it. He wondered what kind of person could wield such a weapon, and what kind of power it possessed.
Suddenly, Eric was startled by a voice behind him.
“Put that down, thief!”
Eric whirled around, the golden halfbred still clutched in his hand, to see a group of NPCs standing a few feet away, their weapons drawn and pointed at him.
‘Shit... I got in trouble, because of my curiosity once again...”
Eric sighed, knowing that his curiosity had once again gotten him into trouble. He knew that he needed to be more cautious in the future and think about the potential consequences of his actions before he acted on his impulses.
“I’m not a thief, just a curious adventurer!”
Seeing a crossbow being pointed towards him, Eric quickly put the halberd on the ground and took a dozen steps back, raising his hands in the air.
“I apologize if I gave the wrong impression. I’m not a thief, just a curious adventurer!”
Eric said in a calm and sincere tone. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
“I understand your concern and I don’t want to cause any trouble. I’ll leave right away and won’t cause any more problems...”
Eric added, hoping to diffuse the tense situation.
He waited for the person with the crossbow to respond, ready to comply with any demands they might have.
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