Chapter 2: Bowerstone

The next morning at sun rise
the young boy and Bruce had stood at the town docks where the next ship sailing
to Bowerstone awaited. Mikal and a few other town residents including a couple
town guards had come to see them off.
"I'm really sorry to hear about your dad. I hope
you'll be alright in the meantime." Said Mikel, "But I really hope
things go well for you, I mean training to be a Hero! That's so cool! I'm a bit
envious really...although you don't really hear a lot of good things about the
Heroes nowadays. But I'm sure you'll make a great one."
"I'm sure he will Mikal, I'll admit this isn't the
best time for him, but it's his fathers wish for him to lead a life of greater
purpose and serve his country." Bruce stated. 
"I think he'll make a fine Hero, much better than
the anti-social miscreants The Guild has been releasing out into the world
anymore," Said a guard. "Just don't take too long on getting him
there Bruce, after all you are the new guard Captain around here."
"Yes, yes I know, I'll be back first thing
tomorrow," Said Bruce. "But don't think it's going to change in how
things are run, I'll be running a tight ship just as Mardigo did."
"Yes of course sir." Replied the guard.
"We wish you the best young lad!" Shouted a
woman from the small crowd of residents.
A crewman had approached from behind where Bruce and the
young boy were standing, "Sir, we're just about ready to sail soon, better
get on board."
"Right," Bruce said as he turned to face down
at the young boy, "Well lad, you better say your goodbyes. You probably
won't be coming back here in quite a while." As he made his way to the
ships deck.
The young boy approached Mikal closer, "Well I guess
this is it then." He said with a tone of slight sadness.
"I want you to have this." Said Mikal as he
reached in his pocket and handed him a gold piece, "It's not much I know,
but it's the only thing I have to give you. You've been a great friend and
always were there for me, I so wish I could go with you, but my place is here
in Hook Coast. Maybe I'll make something of
myself one day too and I hope at the same time we'll see each other again.
You'll be a famous Hero and I can say 'that's my best friend'."
The young boy gave a smile, he was glad to hear Mikal was
so supportive on his ambition on becoming a hero. He still could not believe it
himself that he was in fact going to be a Hero. Although he still thought about
what the old seer Theresa said. She did not deny when he asked if he would be
helping the people fight against other Heroes. The only question he still had
to know was why. He knew at this point most Heroes were careless of it's people
and deemed menaces to society, but from the sounds of it, he would just have to
wait for that to be revealed. Besides, in the meantime he was really focused as
well as anxious to see how his training would go.
A moment later he heard the launch bell ring as a crewman
shouted aloud "All aboard!" 
"Come on lad! It's time to sail!" Bruce yelled
from the deck.
The young boy quickly made his way to the wooden boarding
platform and onto the deck next to Bruce. Two crewmen then dragged in the
boarding platform in as the ships anchor had been lured up.
"Release the sails!" Shouted the ship captain.
The ship sails had dropped from the yards and with a fair
wind the ship had sailed off smoothly out to sea. During the ships departure,
the young boy quickly made his way to the stern of the ship. He could still see
Mikal and the rest of the small group of townsfolk who came to see them off. As
he waved his hand goodbye he could see Mikal waving back as he shrunk into the
distance. 
As the ship sailed out to sea on it's way to Bowerstone,
the young boy went below deck to rest as it was about over a half of days
journey. When the ship started to near their destination the young boy was
awakened by Bruce standing over his cot shaking his right shoulder.
"Come on lad, it's time to wake up." He said.
The young boy slowly opened his eyes still drowsy and
yawning as he began to sit upright on the edge of the cot. 
"We're nearly there lad, come up on the deck with
me, you can just see the city, it's quite the view." Said Bruce.
The young boy pushed himself off the cot and began to
follow Bruce. They walked throughout the ship making their way to the deck. 
"You know I have to say I was a bit edgy about sea
travel, always hearing stories about ships sailing into a krakens nest or being
boarded by pirates. I guess it's a good thing they started to deploy guard
ships out on well traveled sea routes nowadays. Still it's not always a
guarantee nothing bad will happen, otherwise there wouldn't be any stories to
tell, I guess we can count ourselves lucky." Bruce said.
As they walked up the stairwell leading to the bow of the
ship, the young boy gazed upon a well structured silhouetted outline of a city
surrounded by orange rays of light from the sunset in the distance in front of
them. He could also see a few other ships docked along the quay.
"Ah here it is, the city of Bowerstone." Bruce said with a bit of
enthusiasm. "It's been quite a long time since I've been here. Before I
was stationed at Hook Coast your father and I patrolled in this city after
we graduated from the Guard
 Academy. A thriving city
this is... The Heroes Guild isn't far of a walk from the city grounds. I still
don't understand as to why your father wants you to go there though. These
Heroes nowadays are a damn nuisance and a bunch of wankers if you ask me, think
they're above the law and can torment anyone they please. They treat Albion's
citizens like dirt, it was only a few months ago one of them paid a visit to Hook Coast
and nearly beat the tavern owner to death along with a couple other sods that
tried to intervene. Thank Avo your father and I were there to stop it, but even
then the wanker overpowered us and ran off, evaded every shot we fired at him.
No better than bandits most of these Heroes are and that Guild Headmaster is
quite the arrogant tosser too from what I hear."
"Guild Headmaster?" The young boy asked.
"Yeah, I believe his name's Markeniss, his family
has been running the Guild for a few generations since the legendary will user
Maze was Head of the Guild. It used to be there was a Guild Master and Head of
the Guild, but I guess they just figured to combine the two positions into one."
Bruce answered.
"How do you know so much about the Guild? And why
doesn't the law just do something about the Heroes?" The young boy asked.
Bruce snickered, "You're just full of questions
arn't you? But I suppose I have your father to thank for knowing so much about
the Guild and it's Heroes, some days when we were patrolling he could babble on
for what seemed like a whole week and I'd say 'oh put a sock in it
Mardigo'." As Bruce let out a short laugh, "Your father was a great
man, would of made a fine Hero if he chose to be, but it's not that the law
hasn't been doing anything. Sometimes when they do guards end up severely
injured and even rumored dead some of them, but we give some of those ruffians
a run for their money too, especially with these brand new guns, but it's no
doubt by now The Guild probably got their hands on them too... I can only
imagine what will happen when the citizens get their hands on them. They say
there was a court hearing over a year ago where the Concerned Citizens Group
and The Anti-Hero League of Oakvale pressed a lawsuit against the Guild."
"So The Heroes Guild got sued?" Asked the young
boy.
"Yes, but the case was thrown out, bunch of pig
swallow in my opinion, with all those witnesses and evidence of the Heroes
wrong doings a case just thrown out like that? No, definitely fowl play
somewhere in the court systems." Bruce said with slight frustration,
"I still don't agree with your father's decision to send you here, but I
do trust his judgment, I just hope you don't turn out like the rest of them,
but I'm sure you'll be one of the few good ones."
"Approaching the docks! Prepare anchor!"
Shouted a crewman from the crows nest.
The young boy then turned his attention from Bruce to the
sight of Bowerstone that went from a silhouette in the distance, to a detailed
view of several town houses and bordering stone walls with decorative banners
hanging from them.
The crewmen had retracted the sails in on the yards and
the ship had docked. The young boy and Bruce exited the ship and walked to the
end of the dock where it met with the cobblestone grounds.
"Here we are, the city of Bowerstone." Said Bruce as they started
to walk toward a wide stonewall archway that lead into town, "Ah this
brings back memories this does. I don't know about you, but I could go for some
food right about now. I think there's a tavern just up ahead."
As they walked toward the tavern through the stone block
streets the young boy could see that this was a most thriving town. There was
traders dragging carts and selling goods as they shouted their sales, children
younger than him running in laughter, bards playing their lutes as people
gathered to listen, and townsfolk cheerfully walking about. 
"Alright, this looks like the tavern." Said
Bruce as they stopped in front of a large building by the entrance door.
"You're not quite old enough to enter a tavern yet, so I'll head in for a
quick beer and bring us out some food. In the mean time why don't you take this
gold and go get us some chocolate, we could use some dessert to go with our
meal. From what I remember the trader closest to the town gate should sell it."
As he reached into his pocket and handed him five gold pieces.
The young boy then began to search the streets full of
vendor stands and various houses lined along the streets. He then found himself
in front of two huge wooden double door gates. He had figure this to be the
main gates of Bowerstone and it was then he heard a voice to the left of the
street muttering angrily aloud. It was then he realized it was the trader Bruce
had mentioned, putting his stall back together from some sort of wreckage from
the looks of it. As he approached the trader he said, "Excuse me, I'd like
to buy some chocolate."
The trader then turned around quickly, "Look, will
you just... oh, oh my, I'm sorry boy." As he took notice of him, "I
thought you were...someone else, but never mind that. Anyway I'm afraid I don't
have chocolate as of now. One of those so called Heroes by the name of Geoffrey
Barron took my last crate of it. Tries to bargain down to two gold pieces for a
whole crate of chocolate, all because he's a Hero of the Guild and thinks he's
entitled to any price. So when I don't except his offer he grabs me by my
collar, throws me into my stand and takes off with the crate. There's also a
missing ruby from my inventory as well, wouldn't be surprised if the wanker
took off with that too. I went to the guards about it, but he disappeared down
that alley way across the street and they couldn't find him. But anyway, I'm
sorry lad, you'll have to come back next week."
The young boy then thought to himself this could be his
chance to do something heroic. After all he was going to train to be a hero so
he might as well start acting like it. He made his way over to the alley way
across the street between a clothing shop and a large house where the trader
last saw him flee to. He started to walk cautiously down the shaded alley and
as he made his way closer to a sharp right turn in the alley he could hear
voices. 
He put his back to the wall and shuffled to the edge of
the corner of the house wall peaking out the other side. He saw two men
standing by a ground cellar door, one man was bald with dim eyes and crooked
teeth dressed in a maroon shirt and brown pants. The other man closest to the
cellar door was slightly taller with a fairly fit body build and wore a short
sleeve black shirt and pants. His hair was short with brown coloring and had a
vertical scar that ran down across his left eye and both his shoulders were
covered with metal armor pads. He had a belt buckle that looked like an empty
gun holster and sword sheath, but since only guards were allowed to carry
weapons in Bowerstone he was unarmed at the moment. He knew that one from his
appearance was the Hero Geoffrey Barron.
"Two gold coins for one crate of chocolate? How did
you get the sod to give you that price?" Asked the bald man with slight
surprise.
"I guess you could say with a little assertive
persuasion." Replied Barron in a mischievous tone, "I was able to
quick snatch one of his gems too after I threw the bloat into the stall,
that'll fetch a fine price I'm sure. The fellas back at the camp and I been
hankering for some chocolate which is why I decided to do a little shopping
today. Still gotta get more supplies though."
"Yeah, I'm sure there's still some more traders in
town that could use some assertive persuasion." Replied the bald man as he
let out a short snicker.
Barron laughed, "Yeah well, not my fault that these
people don't recognize their higher-ups. Just make sure this cellar door stays
unlocked in case those bloody guards get called again. Now that the coast is
clear I think I'll keep on shopping. The crate and ruby will be safe down there
for now and we'll come back for them later."
"Alright, in the mean time I think I'll go hit the
tavern." Said the bald man.
"Just be back here soon so we can head back to
camp." Replied Barron.
"No problem Mr. Barron." Said the bald man as
the both of them started to walk the opposite direction down the alley way.
As they distanced themselves further from the young boys
position he made his way to the cellar door entrance. He grabbed a hold of the
steel handles and pulled both doors as they swung ajar. He could see a flight
of wooden stairs that lead down into the dark cellar. As he steadily walked
down the stairs he could barely see a thing in front of him until he notice a
small area to his right lit up with a burning torch that hung from the wall. He
then noticed a wooden crate with rope handles and a small brown carrying sack
that set on top of the crate. From there he knew it was the crate of chocolate
and ruby that Geoffrey Barron had taken.
The young boy took the carrying pouch, shoved it in his
pocket and then squatted down to grab the rope handles of the crate. The young
boy was fairly strong for his age and being as the crate was only chocolate it
was rather light weight for him making it easier for him to walk with it. He
began to move as quick as he could not knowing when Geoffrey Barron would come
back. The young boy made his way up the stairs and used his feet to kick the
cellar doors shut when he was out of the stairwell so he'd leave less of a
trace. He then speed walked right out the alley way and across the street where
he saw the trader standing in front of his recently fixed stall.
He approached the trader and lifted the crate of
chocolate to his chest to get the traders attention, "Is that...no, it
can't be..." The trader said surprised as he took the crate, "it is!
My crate of chocolate! But how did you...never mind, I can't tell you how much
I appreciate this. By the way you didn't happen to find the ruby with the crate
did you?"
The young boy nodded as he handed the trader the small
carrying pouch from his pocket. 
"Oh my boy you have my thanks!" The trader said
overjoyed, "You saved me a great hassle, now you are a true hero who
deserves a discount and I will gladly take a gold coin off your purchase."
The young boy then handed him four gold coins leaving him
with an extra one to himself as the trader gave him a bar of chocolate.
"Thank you again lad, I'll be sure to give you a
good price next time you come by." Said the trader.
The young boy then made his way back to the Bowerstone
Tavern where he saw Bruce standing in front of the entrance door where they
stood before.
"There you are lad." Bruce said, "Must of
been a hell of a line at the traders stand, but anyway it turns out they sell
chocolate in there too so you can just hang on to that there chocolate you
bought, oh and here's your dinner too." As he handed him a fair sized
chicken leg and apple.
"Now then, lets make our way to The Guild."
Bruce said as they started to head toward the town gates.
While they were walking to the town gates Bruce then
glanced upon a huge castle that stood majestically in nearby distance upon a
flight of stairs through large sublime gardens.
"Ah, Bowerstone
 Castle." Said Bruce
as they walked by, "Very nice place, home of the Fairfax family. Would've loved to see the
inside of it when I was patrolling these streets, but your father and I were
needed else where. I guess it was lucky for him though, other wise he would've
never met your mother when we transferred to Hook Coast.
They say only the most noble and renown people are allowed inside, perhaps one
day you'll be among those people."
As
they kept walking both of them were at the town gates ready to exit Bowerstone,
"Well lad, once we pass through these gates we'll pass through Lookout
Point and then be at the entrance of the Heroes Guild." Bruce Stated as
they began to walk through the open archway.