As Thal sat in his chosen corner of the inn, the quiet murmur of patrons moving about became his only company. His massive frame was impossible to miss, and despite his efforts to appear unbothered, he could feel the eyes on him.
Patrons entered and left the inn in waves some weary travelers covered in the grime of the Shadowfern, others locals stopping by for a drink or a meal. But regardless of their purpose, nearly all of them stole a glance at the giant seated in the corner.
A group of young Kruu'Strata paused near the doorway, their hushed whispers reaching Thal's ears. "Is that...?" one of them began.
"Shhh!" hissed another, nudging the speaker. "Don't stare! He might not like it."
Thal's eyes flicked toward them briefly, and they quickly hurried to a table, heads bowed. He sighed softly, leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes. The last thing he wanted was to be the subject of gossip, but it seemed inevitable wherever he went.
A short while later, a burly Ork entered, his heavy boots thudding against the wooden floor. He glanced Thal's way, his gaze lingering a moment too long before he grunted and made his way to the bar. The bartender, who had grown accustomed to Thal's presence, simply nodded in his direction.
"He's been sitting there all night," the Ork muttered to the bartender.
The bartender shrugged as he poured a mug of ale. "He's not causing any trouble. Just leave him be."
From the far corner, a small group of travelers Beastkin with fox like features whispered among themselves. One of them, a younger woman with vibrant orange fur, kept sneaking glances at Thal. "He's so big," she murmured.
"Don't get any ideas," an older man in the group warned. "Giants like that are nothing but trouble."
Thal's sharp hearing caught every word, but he remained still. It wasn't the first time he'd heard such remarks, and it wouldn't be the last.
A pair of human merchants entered next, their clothes dusty from the road. One of them nearly tripped when he spotted Thal, his eyes going wide. "That's him!" he whispered to his companion.
"Him who?"
"The one from the statue outside! I swear, it looks just like him!"
The second man glanced at Thal, then back at his friend, shaking his head. "You've had too much to drink. Statues don't walk around."
Despite the stir he was causing, Thal remained where he was, silent and unmoving. He had no desire to engage with the curious, the fearful, or the skeptical. He'd long since grown used to such reactions, though they never stopped being mildly irritating.
As the night wore on, the ebb and flow of the inn's patrons continued, but one thing remained constant: the glances. Some were brief and curious, others lingered with a mix of awe and unease. A few were outright fearful, though Thal made no threatening moves.
For now, he simply waited, his patience as unyielding as the stone of the mountains he once called home.
As the night deepened, Thal's quiet vigil in the corner of the inn was interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps approaching his table. He didn't bother opening his eyes until he heard the gentle scrape of a chair being pulled out. When he looked up, he was met with a sight both striking and peculiar.
A human woman sat across from him, her figure wrapped in flowing robes of deep purple that shimmered faintly under the dim light of the inn. The wide brim of her matching witch's hat partially shadowed her face, but her eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence and a hint of mischief. Her presence radiated a quiet confidence, the kind that demanded attention without needing to ask for it.
As the late hours of the night settled over the inn, a woman entered, her presence as striking as her appearance. Zara, her emerald eyes glowing faintly in the dim light, approached Thal with an air of quiet confidence. Her robes, deep purple and intricately adorned with runes, swayed with each step, and her dark witch's hat tilted slightly, casting a shadow over her sharp, knowing gaze.
Thal noticed her immediately how could he not? Her presence seemed to ripple through the room, drawing the attention of a few lingering patrons. But Zara's focus was solely on him. Without hesitation, she moved to the empty seat across from him and sat down, her movements fluid and deliberate.
"Thal, isn't it?" she said, her voice calm and rich, carrying a soothing quality that seemed to cut through the low murmur of the inn.
Thal regarded her with a guarded expression, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Who's asking?"
She smiled, a faint, enigmatic curve of her lips. "Zara. A mage... and a curious one, at that." She leaned forward slightly, her elbows resting on the table as her hands folded gracefully. "I've heard whispers about you, giant. And I must admit, I couldn't resist the chance to see for myself."
Thal didn't respond immediately, his gaze steady as he studied her. She didn't seem threatening, but her aura carried a weight, as if she were accustomed to getting what she wanted.
"I'm just passing through," he said finally, his tone even.
Zara tilted her head, her eyes glinting with intrigue. "So mysterious," she mused. "I wonder if all Nephilim are as tight lipped as you, or if it's just you."
At the mention of Nephilim, Thal's jaw tightened ever so slightly. He leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"
"Oh, many things," she replied with a playful smirk, "but right now, I'm more interested in you. Not Kael, not the legends just you."
Thal raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"
Zara leaned back in her chair, her hat tilting as she studied him. "Call it curiosity. You're an enigma, Thal. A giant who walks among mortals, carrying burdens far beyond what most of us can fathom. It's... fascinating."
Thal didn't respond. Zara took his silence as an invitation to continue.
"Where do you come from, truly?" she asked, her tone soft but probing. "What drives someone like you to keep moving, to keep fighting?"
Thal's gaze hardened. "I don't see how that's any of your concern."
For a moment, Zara's confident demeanor faltered, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face. But she quickly recovered, flashing a wry smile. "Fair enough. Everyone has their secrets. I suppose I can respect that."
She gestured to the bartender, who brought over a glass of dark amber liquid. She lifted it in a silent toast to Thal before taking a sip. "You know," she said, her tone shifting to something lighter, "you're not as intimidating as people make you out to be. Brooding, sure, but not terrifying."
Thal allowed himself a faint smirk. "You're not the first to say that."
Zara chuckled, a rich, warm sound. "I'll take that as a compliment. But don't think I'm giving up so easily, Thal. You intrigue me, and I'm not one to walk away from a mystery."
Her words carried a hint of flirtation, but there was something deeper behind them a purpose she wasn't revealing. Whether it was a genuine interest in him or something more self serving, Thal couldn't yet say.
For now, he simply nodded, his gaze unwavering. "You'll have to keep wondering, then."
Zara sighed dramatically, but her smile didn't waver. "Fine, fine. I'll bide my time. But you can't blame a girl for trying." She raised her glass again, this time in an almost playful challenge. "To mysteries, then."
Thal clinked his mug against hers, though he remained silent. As they drank, Zara continued to chatter, her tone light and conversational, but her eyes never stopped studying him, as if trying to unravel the enigma that was Thal. And though he gave little away, he couldn't shake the feeling that this mage had more on her mind than she let on.
As Zara continued her casual banter, Thal's patience began to wear thin. Though his expression remained stoic, a subtle tension crept into his posture his jaw tightened, and his grip on his mug grew firmer. The mage's presence, while outwardly lighthearted, carried an undertone that was unnerving, as if she were peeling back layers he hadn't invited her to see.
Zara, perceptive as ever, seemed to notice his growing unease. Instead of relenting, however, she leaned into it, her emerald eyes gleaming with what could only be described as amusement.
"Relax, Thal," she said, tilting her head with a faint smirk. "You look like you're about to crush that mug. I'm not here to unravel your entire being... just a piece of it."
Thal finally let out a low, measured sigh. His gaze locked on hers, steady but tinged with irritation. "Do you always talk this much?"
She laughed softly, unbothered by his tone. "Only when I'm interested. Which, lucky for you, I am." She set her glass down and rested her chin on her hand, her gaze never wavering. "Does that bother you? Being the center of someone's attention?"
"It bothers me when people push for answers I'm not giving," Thal said evenly, his voice carrying just enough edge to make his point clear.
Zara raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. "Fair enough. But you can't blame me for being curious. You're... unique. A walking contradiction, even. Legends paint you as this unstoppable force, but here you are, sitting in an inn, looking more like a weary traveler than a god slayer."
Thal's lips pressed into a thin line. "Maybe that's because I am a weary traveler."
Her smirk grew, but there was something unsettling in it something that hinted she knew more than she let on. "Perhaps. Or maybe there's more to you than even you realize."
The comment made Thal's brow furrow, just slightly. She was poking at something deeper, something he wasn't sure she had any right to poke at.
"Listen," he said, his voice low and firm, "I don't know what you're after, but you're not going to find it here. So, if you're just here to play games, find someone else to bother."
Zara's smile faltered for the first time, but only for a heartbeat. She straightened in her seat, her expression softening slightly. "No games," she said, her tone calmer now. "I'm just... curious. And maybe a little envious. You walk this world with a weight I can't imagine, and yet you endure. I admire that."
Thal's gaze softened, if only slightly, but his wariness remained. "Flattery doesn't work on me."
"Noted," she said with a small chuckle. "I'll back off. For now." She took another sip of her drink, her gaze drifting to the window as if giving him a moment to breathe.
But even as the conversation quieted, Thal couldn't shake the feeling that Zara wasn't done with him. There was something in her presence something almost predatory, hidden beneath her calm demeanor and flirtatious charm. She was unsettling, and though she claimed to admire him, he couldn't help but wonder what her true intentions were.
For now, though, he let the silence settle between them, his eyes scanning the room for anything else that might demand his attention.
Zara finished the last of her drink, setting the glass down with a soft clink. Her emerald eyes lingered on Thal, studying him one final time as if committing his very essence to memory. She stood gracefully, her flowing robes swaying slightly, and placed a gloved hand on the back of her chair.
"You know," she began, her voice softer now, almost reverent, "for someone so rooted in strength, there's a shadow trailing you. A crack in the foundation."
Thal's eyes narrowed, his wariness deepening. "What are you talking about?"
Zara tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. "You've carried something broken for a long time, haven't you? A legacy not yours, yet thrust into your hands. The Black Dragon's curse still lingers, doesn't it? Scars carved into the fabric of this world, festering wounds no one's dared to close."
Thal didn't respond immediately, his fingers tightening around the edge of the table. The name the Black Dragon sent a chill down his spine. It wasn't a name spoken lightly. "What do you know about it?"
Zara's smile grew cryptic, her eyes glinting like shards of glass. "I know this: you're not just a piece on the board, Thal. You're the one who can finish what the Black Dragon broke. You have the strength to mend what even gods turned their backs on. But strength isn't enough, is it?"
She leaned closer, her voice lowering to a whisper, almost conspiratorial. "The question isn't if you'll try, Nephilim. The question is if you'll lose yourself in the attempt."
Before Thal could demand more, Zara straightened, pulling her wide brimmed hat lower over her face. "I'll be watching, Thal. And when the time comes, perhaps I'll be the one to tell you what no one else will."
With that, she stepped back, her form shimmering as if caught in the glow of an unseen light. Green crystals began to materialize around her feet, growing upward in jagged patterns, encasing her body in a radiant cocoon. The emerald light reflected across the room, casting eerie, dancing shadows on the walls.
"Until then," she said, her voice echoing strangely as the crystals enveloped her, "remember this: even the strongest hands can't fix what they don't understand. Find the truth, Thal. Or let the cracks consume you."
And then, with a sharp flash, the crystals shattered, scattering into nothingness. She was gone, leaving only the faint scent of wildflowers and the haunting weight of her words.
Thal sat in silence, his mind churning. The cryptic message she left hung in the air like an unspoken challenge, and despite his frustration with her, he couldn't ignore the gnawing sense that her words carried an unsettling truth.
Thal's gaze darkened, his mind racing as Zara's words echoed in his ears. "The Black Dragon's curse…" she had said, as if it were a common thing to be aware of. His pulse quickened with a mix of confusion and unease. The curse was a horror known only to Nephilim and dragons something that mortals couldn't fathom. It was a scourge, a devastation, and its presence meant something far worse than anyone could understand.
As she spoke, a part of him wanted to believe her, to entertain the possibility that the curse had followed him somehow, but he knew better. The curse didn't touch him, couldn't. He hadn't felt its oppressive weight in years ever since...
Thal stopped himself, cutting off the thought as it bubbled to the surface. He couldn't afford to go down that path, not now. He clenched his fists, feeling the familiar burn of anger that arose whenever the memory surfaced. He couldn't allow it to resurface not after everything he had done to bury it.
Zara's cryptic words lingered in the air like a foul smell, gnawing at him. But no, the curse was something he had dealt with before....
The problem was… something felt wrong. He had never forgotten the weight of that curse, the memory of it had been ingrained into his being like a scar. But to hear her say it was "following" him it unsettled him in ways he didn't want to acknowledge.
He took a deep breath and stood from his seat, his towering frame a silent warning to anyone who dared to get too close. His hands flexed, trying to work out the tension that had built up in his chest.
Zara's parting words hung like a dark shadow in his mind. "Find the truth, or let the cracks consume you."
What truth? What cracks?
Thal didn't have time to sort through all the meanings behind her words. He didn't have time for this not now. His mind was elsewhere, back in the city, where the weight of his past and the ever looming threat of the Harbinger were far more pressing. He would find the answers he needed, but he knew one thing for certain: whatever Zara had intended to imply with her cryptic message it wasn't something he could just ignore.
Not anymore.
Thal's thoughts shifted to Neo and Tor. A knot formed in his stomach as he considered the Harbinger lurking in the Hunters Haunt. The place was meant to be a sanctuary for lost souls, a place where warriors were forged, where harsh lessons in survival and combat shaped the strongest of individuals. He had trained Neo for this very moment, for the possibility of facing a Harbinger or anything else that might threaten their existence.
He had taught him well, hadn't he? Neo was strong, resilient, sharp. But there was always doubt that lingered in the back of Thal's mind, a constant reminder that even the strongest could falter in the face of overwhelming force. The Harbinger wasn't just any foe. It wasn't something that could be fought with brute strength alone. It was something older, deeper, something that had existed before even Thal's time. Something that could unravel a person's mind before they even realized it.
And yet, the thought of Neo and Tor facing that alone... it gnawed at him. Thal had sent them there for a reason, to protect the Hunters Haunt, but that didn't stop the lingering worry. He had trained them for this moment, prepared them for the unexpected, but could they truly handle something so dark, so dangerous?
Thal shook his head, pushing away the doubts. He had made the choice to leave them there. Neo and Tor weren't helpless they were warriors in their own right. Neo had always been determined, always pushing forward despite the odds, and Tor had the heart of a lion. Still, the unease lingered, especially knowing how unpredictable a Harbinger could be.
He couldn't protect them forever. They had to face their own battles, carve their own paths, even if it tore him apart to think of them struggling alone. The bond between them would have to be enough. He had to trust that everything he'd instilled in them would see them through.
Thal sighed, the weight of it all settling heavily on his broad shoulders. He couldn't waste time dwelling on what might happen in the Haunt. He had his own fight to face here, with Kael and Na'reth, with the Harbinger that loomed on the horizon.
But the ache for his two charges, his children of the Haunt, would never leave him. They were always in his heart always.