Fate´s Bloody Path

The night had ended with a promise: if I ever needed to return to Eldrek, I could do so freely. I spent a good night in the cave, and the next morning, I said goodbye to my giant friend to return to Grimmor.

Even though it was hard for me to leave behind the magical sword, I asked Eldrek to keep it safe, fearing that if Grimmor saw it, he might try to steal it by force. I decided to be cautious and left with only a simple dagger and a mana potion that Eldrek had given me, assuring me that it would help heal me in case of an emergency.

Before I left, Eldrek looked at me intently and placed a hand on my shoulder, as if he wanted to say something more, but he finally just wished me luck. There was something else in his gaze, a concern he didn’t express in words. I squeezed his hand tightly as we said goodbye, feeling a connection that, though unknown, seemed ancient and deep.

Nervously, I ventured into the forest, heading toward the town. It was early, and according to Eldrek, at this time of day, it was less likely to encounter dangerous creatures. As I walked, the shadow of the previous night still weighed on my mind.

The warning about poisonous plants and unfamiliar fruits echoed loudly, making me even more careful with my steps. I knew I couldn’t afford any mistakes at this moment. The forest’s tranquility contrasted with my inner turmoil.

After walking for a good while, I reached the entrance of the town. People were already active, and the market looked just like it had the day before. Everything seemed normal.

I headed straight to the bar to see if I could find Grimmor. Upon entering, I noticed the place was almost empty, with only the staff working there. Instinctively, I moved my hand toward my wrist to check the time, but then I remembered that in this world, there were no clocks or any concept of time measurement.

I only knew that it was still early, so I took the opportunity to sit at a table and order something to eat while I waited. As I ate, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander to everything I had experienced.

“How is it possible that I’m here after what happened with the harpies?” I murmured, feeling a mix of disbelief and fear. “Am I really alive, or is this all part of a dream I can’t wake up from?”

I was about to ask the waiter to pinch me so I could wake up. But those thoughts were quickly replaced by a more immediate concern: I didn’t have any money to pay for the food.

Panic set in as I wondered how I was going to explain that I couldn’t cover my bill. Just at that moment, Grimmor walked into the bar with his two lizard lackeys and the ogre I had been with the previous day.

I immediately noticed that the ogre was injured, walking with difficulty. Since I was the only customer in the center of the bar, Grimmor and his lackeys spotted me right away. The surprise on their faces when they saw me there, as if they hadn’t expected me to have survived, was obvious.

My heart pounded as I tried to maintain a neutral expression, knowing that any sign of weakness could be fatal. Grimmor headed upstairs, motioning for me to follow him. I climbed after him, trying not to think about what might happen next.

After sitting in his usual spot, he waited for his breakfast to be brought to him. I noticed he didn’t even need to order; the waiters already knew exactly what he wanted, as if they were automated. As I stood next to his lackeys, no one said a word.

The ogre looked at me with curiosity, as if searching for an explanation for my current state. I deduced he was wondering how I had emerged unscathed after the battle with the harpies. I, for my part, tried to think about what I would tell Grimmor when he questioned me.

I couldn’t tell him the truth; he surely wouldn’t believe me or would try to exploit this power that I still didn’t fully understand.

After a few minutes, when he finished eating, the waiters cleared the dishes. That’s when Grimmor, with a threatening look, addressed the ogre directly. "Repeat the report you gave yesterday when you returned," he ordered without hesitation.

The ogre nodded, fully aware of what was expected of him, and began to speak.

“After we collected the package, we were ambushed... a horde of harpies. We fought for our lives,” he explained, casting a nervous glance at me. "I saw you… being devoured by the creatures," he added, his tone filled with doubt. "I had no other choice. I grabbed the package and fled immediately."

There was a brief, uncomfortable silence. Grimmor didn’t take his eyes off the ogre, evaluating him without showing any emotion. Then he cast a glance at one of the lizards. Without needing words, the lizard understood the order. In the blink of an eye, it delivered a swift stab to the ogre’s thigh, bringing him to his knees with a grunt of pain.

Grimmor, relentless, leaned toward the ogre. "How do you explain, then, that he is here, safe and sound, if you saw him being devoured?" he asked with a coldness that pierced through.

The ogre, unable to come up with a coherent response, merely stammered, "I don’t know... I don’t know how..."

Grimmor didn’t bother to respond. With a barely perceptible gesture, he gave another order. The obedient lizard delivered a fierce blow, knocking the ogre unconscious with a single strike. The sound of the impact echoed through the room, and the silence that followed was even heavier.

I watched the whole scene in silence, stunned by the lizard’s brutality. How can it be that strong? I thought, but the words remained stuck in my throat. It was clear that I had to be very careful around Grimmor.

With my eyes fixed on the ogre crumpled on the floor, my doubts deepened.

Was it really a good idea to agree to work for him? I wondered but didn’t say aloud. I knew getting out of here wouldn’t be easy, and I questioned how much longer I could maintain this façade before everything fell apart.

As I stood there, observing from the side, I couldn’t help but focus on Grimmor. Until that moment, I had considered him just another human, maybe with some hidden power. But now, I saw details I had previously overlooked.

“Grimmor… your ears,” I muttered quietly, noticing how they peeked out from under his hair with a slight point that didn’t fit with those of a normal human. And his skin... too smooth, I thought, as if it had never known the sun or the passage of time.

Who are you, really? Doubt settled in my mind. I had always assumed his power came from influence or wealth, but now I wondered if there was something darker and more dangerous lurking beneath that carefully calculated appearance.

Without realizing it, I murmured, "How can someone like him control creatures like the lizards or the ogre? This doesn’t make sense..."

Grimmor finally turned toward me. His cold, calculating gaze pierced through me with the same intensity he had used to intimidate the ogre.

“Report to me what happened yesterday,” he said, his voice firm but without raising it.

It was a command, not a request. My heart pounded, but I did my best to maintain a neutral expression. I couldn’t let Grimmor see my doubts or my fear. "The ogre’s report was accurate," I began, keeping my voice as steady as possible.

"Once he took the package and left, the harpies followed him, leaving me alone. I used that moment to take a healing potion I had with me, which allowed my wounds to regenerate slowly."

As I spoke, a cold sweat ran down my back. The story I was telling was a lie I had made up on the spot.

“I spent the night in the forest because I didn’t dare return in the dark. This morning, as soon as daylight broke, I came straight here.” Grimmor showed no visible reaction to my account. His face remained impassive, unreadable.

After a brief silence, he asked a single question: "That potion? Who gave it to you?" The question caught me off guard, but I quickly improvised.

“I stole it from a stranger in the market. I saw him off guard and took it before he could notice.”

Grimmor glanced at one of the lizards, who approached me without a word and began to search me. I knew this could happen, so I had prepared. The lizard found the potion Eldrek had given me and handed it to Grimmor.

For a moment, I held my breath, waiting for his reaction.

"Your performance was a disaster," he said coldly, his expression unchanged. "But at least you returned alive."

With the potion in his hand, he examined it for a moment. Without saying anything, he slipped it into one of his jacket pockets as if it held no significance. However, I noticed a slight raise of his eyebrow—an almost imperceptible gesture that left me unsettled.

Grimmor, after pocketing the potion, stared at me intently.

I felt a weight fall over me, but before I could respond, he continued: “From today, you are officially one of my lackeys. You will be available to me at all times, without objection.” His tone left no room for doubt; my life no longer belonged to me.

To seal the moment, Grimmor signaled to the lizard standing beside him. It approached and handed me a package—it was the same one we had recovered in the forest. Grimmor opened it slowly, revealing a sword. It wasn’t like the one Eldrek had shown me; it had nothing special.

It was an ordinary sword, but I recognized it immediately: it had been forged by Eldrek. Without another word, Grimmor handed it to me.

"From now on, you will develop your combat skills under my supervision," he ordered, making it clear that I had no choice.

Without further ado, Grimmor gestured to one of the waiters, who already seemed to be prepared for something I didn’t understand. The bar was closed, and behind the counter on the first floor, women and female creatures with humanoid bodies began to appear. They were attractive to the eye, dressed suggestively, with mischievous smiles.

They climbed the stairs slowly, walking with feline grace, and started mingling with the lizards, with Grimmor, and finally with me. I didn’t know how to act; the situation had caught me completely off guard. Noticing my confusion, Grimmor smiled for the first time.

"This is a celebration," he said, his tone more relaxed but no less authoritative.

"Relax and enjoy the moment. These beauties are here to share with you."

Immediately, I thought of my beloved Selene. What would she think if she knew the situation I was in? Guilt hit me like a hammer. I knew that if I refused, Grimmor would find some way to break me. It felt like every decision I made bound me more tightly to his control.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted when a creature with feline features approached dangerously close. Without saying a word, she took my hand and placed it on her waist, smiling with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

I felt her warmth, her proximity, and my mind struggled to stay calm. Part of me wanted to pull away, but another part knew that rejecting this moment would risk Grimmor’s retaliation.

I was trapped in a situation that could only get worse, and I couldn’t see an easy way out. My body, stiff with nerves, barely responded as the creature kept drawing closer, pushing me toward an abyss I feared I wouldn’t be able to return from.