Visitor

After Paul finished recounting his story, the table remained silent for several minutes. The weight of what he had shared seemed to settle heavily on everyone. They each conveyed their condolences, offering words of support. 

Paul, though quiet, accepted their sympathy and then asked his newfound brothers for help in seeking revenge. While his request was readily agreed to, it stirred a blend of emotions, leaving everyone feeling both excited and nervous.

Zaell wondered aloud if his shield could withstand a dragon's attack, while Jeyel eagerly expressed his desire to see the creature at once. Eijay, deep in thought, sifted through his mental arsenal of spells, trying to determine which could be effective against such a powerful foe, while Rhyz excitedly mused about testing his latest invention on the dragon.

Chris, breaking the moment of contemplation, spoke with a serious tone. "Don't forget, you need to report this to the guild master tomorrow. This information is crucial.''

Paul finished the last of his beer and nodded at Chris, assuring him that they would. Paul then added, "We should find somewhere to rest for the night," fatigue evident in his voice.

"You can use my son's room upstairs while he's out of town," Mrs. Lorry offered kindly.

"Thank you, that would be great," Zaell responded, and the others echoed their gratitude.

"I'll go tidy up the room and add a few extra pillows," Mrs. Lorry said kindly, leaving the table.

Chris rose from his seat, the floorboards creaking beneath him. He walked to the door, closing it after the last patron had left. Turning back to Paul, his voice steady and firm, he said, "Be sure to report your encounter with the dragon to the guild master. It's vital."

Paul and his brothers nodded silently, acknowledging the reminder. After lingering for a while, they made their way up the stairs. The air grew heavier with each step, a testament to their exhaustion. When they reached the room Mrs. Lorry had thoughtfully prepared, they exchanged tired glances, grateful for the brief respite. Weary from the day's trials, they each found a spot to rest. As soon as they lay down, sleep quickly claimed them, their bodies sinking into the comfort of the bed and embracing the deep rest they so desperately needed.

Paul found himself in a surreal, dreamlike landscape, back in his childhood home. He saw his parents joyfully sharing a meal at the dining table, but as he moved closer, they vanished into thin air, leaving him feeling disoriented and confused. His mother's voice then echoed from the fire pit, hauntingly repeating: "Never return, never return."

Suddenly, the ground beneath him began to tremble, and he looked up to see a dragon shattering the roof of his house. Overwhelmed with fear, he closed his eyes, only to be engulfed by eerie darkness. Sprinting through the void, his panic escalated. A sudden jolt sent him tumbling to the ground, where he was confronted with a chilling sight—the lifeless bodies of his fellow villagers scattered across the landscape.

In the distance, he saw the motionless forms of his parents, their presence intensifying the dream's unsettling nature. Struggling to make sense of the nightmarish scenes, Paul closed his eyes again, only to find himself witnessing a tiny creature darting frantically through a dense forest, pursued by an unseen threat.

Paul snapped awake, finding himself momentarily suspended in mid-air before crashing back onto his bed. The room was cloaked in darkness, but he could make out the shapes of his sleeping brothers. His heart sank as he realized his beloved pet wolf, Black, was missing. Frantically searching the room, Paul's anxiety grew as he noticed that Black was nowhere to be found.

Descending the stairs, Paul noticed movement in the kitchen. As he approached, he found what seemed to be Black voraciously devouring all the meat. A pang of guilt struck him for forgetting to feed his companion during dinner. However, as he drew closer, he noticed something alarming: Black's fur was bristling, and his size had inexplicably increased. Paul's commands to stop went unheard, and Black's red eyes and drooling mouth revealed a sinister presence.

In the dimly lit kitchen, Paul's terror intensified as he realized the creature before him was not Black, but a towering werewolf. Paralyzed with fear, he watched as the monstrous figure rose to a height of seven feet. Moonlight streaming through the window cast an eerie glow on the creature's snarling face, revealing its true nature. Unable to move, Paul was frozen, his mind racing with panic while his body remained immobilized mid-air.

The ferocious werewolf lunged at him, its razor-sharp claws extended menacingly. Despite Paul's desperate attempts to will his body to move, he remained stuck in place. The beast's sheer force sent him hurtling across the room. As he collided with the wall, the kitchen tools suspended above him crashed down, adding to the chaos. The impact was so severe that Paul lost consciousness instantly.

***

When he awoke, it was in a dimly lit hospital room. Waves of pain radiated from his chest, where tightly bound bandages indicated his injuries. Confused and vulnerable, Paul noticed he was alone except for his faithful wolf curled up beside him. A moment of disorienting panic gripped him as he glimpsed a shape in the corner, but he quickly realized it was merely a benign shadow from the faint light filtering through the corridor. 

Desperate for answers, he mustered all his strength to croak out a question to a passing nurse, his voice barely audible over the relentless rattling of leaves outside, stirred by the wind.

The nurse quickly left the room to call for the healer, leaving Paul alone with his thoughts. He struggled to piece together the events that had led him here, but his mind was blank.

Moments later, the nurse returned with the healer. Both wore concerned expressions as they approached his bedside.

"How are you feeling, sir? Can you tell us what you remember?" the healer asked gently but with a probing tone.

Paul furrowed his brow, trying hard to recall the events. "I remember waking up in the middle of the night, searching frantically for my pet wolf. Then I saw something massive lurking in the darkness," he recounted.

The healer nodded as he examined Paul. "You were attacked by a werewolf," he confirmed, making notes. "It's miraculous that you survived. Your brothers arrived just in time to fend off the creature. They were here earlier, by the way."

"How long have I been out?" Paul asked, his voice reflecting his confusion.

"You've been in a deep sleep for four weeks. We feared the worst. You had lost a significant amount of blood, and it's puzzling how the bleeding stopped. However, your wounds haven't fully healed. It's been quite a mystery to us," the healer explained gravely.

He paused, glancing at Paul with a mixture of concern and curiosity before continuing, "I'll leave you with your medication. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask the nurse. We'll keep a close watch on you for a few more days before considering your discharge." With that, the healer left, leaving Paul to ponder the surreal turn of events.

Paul nodded with a heavy heart, closing his eyes in exhaustion. He was immediately submerged in another dream. In this vision, his mother's voice echoed in his mind, repeatedly saying, "Never return!" 

Paul tried to understand her cryptic message while observing a tiny creature in the forest, chased by a threat that was perilously close. Despite his strong urge to help, he found himself immobilized, drifting deeper into the mysterious dreamworld.

Suddenly, the scene shifted to a nightmarish landscape of a burning forest, where panicked animals fled from the encroaching wildfire. The air was thick with smoke, obscuring the sky and shrouding the land. 

Amidst the chaos, Paul saw a familiar face—Dellie, the fairy. She was bravely guiding the frightened animals to safety, using her magical vines to combat the relentless flames, though it seemed an insurmountable task for a single fairy.

As the intense flames raged on, a towering figure emerged from the smoky inferno—the menacing dragon from his recurring dreams. Overcome with helplessness, Paul cried out Dellie's name before abruptly waking up to find himself back in the real world, with his concerned brothers standing by his side.

"Hey, bro, how are you feeling?" Zaell asked, concern etched on his face. "You're sweating quite a bit—do you feel hot in here?"

"I'm fine, just had a nightmare," Paul replied, trying to recall the details but coming up empty. "Hey, bro, can you tell me what happened in the tavern?" he asked.

Eijay spoke up, "We woke up after hearing a loud bang downstairs and noticed you weren't in the room. We rushed down to check and found Black barking at something while guarding you. You were bleeding and unconscious. When I cast a ball of light, we saw a werewolf trying to finish you off. We had to act fast to stop it. The tavern was pretty much wrecked in the process. Werewolf attacks are common in town during the full moon."

Paul looked at his brothers with relief. "Thank you, brothers. I owe you my life. I'll be extra careful during every full moon from now on."

Rhys interrupted with a grin. "Not so fast, bro." He handed Paul a list of bills. "Mrs. Lorry charged us for the damage to the tavern. Zaell mentioned you had a lot of coins to spare, and we promise to pay you back because we're broke at the moment."

Paul smiled. "No problem. Though, I think you guys did more damage to the tavern than the werewolf did," he laughed.

"And here," Rhys continued, handing Paul a bundle, "I've finished crafting your prosthetics and a new bow. Give them a try. The materials cost about 5 gold coins. We used parts from the werewolf and hunted dungeons for the rest, but it all came together."

Rhys helped Paul attach the prosthetics. Paul was amazed and expressed his gratitude. "You're awesome, Rhys. You even made me a new bow. The design is perfect."

"Eijay helped with some spell adjustments," Rhys added. "The prosthetics should respond to your brain like real limbs." Rhys and Eijay shook hands, proud of their work.

Paul took a moment to absorb the incredible sensation of standing on his new metal prosthetics. They felt like supercharged legs, providing immense strength and stability. Tentatively, he tried drawing a new bow with his prosthetic arm and was astounded by the force it exerted, feeling as powerful as a beastly punch. The overwhelming joy he felt was akin to celebrating his birthday with a deluge of extraordinary gifts.

Zaell joined him, proudly presenting a remarkable shield crafted from tough metal and parts of formidable monsters. "Look, they made me a shield too," he announced, beaming with pride.

"Fantastic! I can't wait to test it against some monsters," Paul exclaimed, bubbling with anticipation. However, the realization that he would need to remain in the hospital for a few more days slightly dampened his excitement.

In his rush, Paul nearly forgot to pay. "Where is my bag?" he asked in a panic.

"Here," Zaell said, pulling the bag from his pocket and magically restoring it to its original size.

Paul then took out gold coins to pay his brothers for their help, adding a bonus as a token of appreciation. They all sat down and chatted for a while.

As they were talking, Chris arrived with Mrs. Lorry to visit Paul.

"How are you feeling, Paul?" Mrs. Lorry inquired.

"I'm doing fine. Please accept this payment for the tavern," Paul responded graciously, handing over the payment.

Mrs. Lorry chuckled and remarked on how Paul's brothers had gone above and beyond in dispatching the werewolf, drawing laughter from everyone present. "It sounds like you all had quite the adventure," she added, her tone warm with admiration.

After a moment, Chris stepped forward, his demeanor shifting to one of formality. "Paul, the guild master has arrived," he announced, making a deep bow and gesturing toward the entrance.

The door creaked open, and an elderly man entered. His long white robes trailed behind him, and he was almost completely bald, with only a wispy crown of white hair encircling his head like a halo. His flowing beard reached down to his chest. Despite his age, he exuded an undeniable aura of authority and wisdom.

"So you are the young man being hailed as savior," the guild master said, his voice filled with respect. 

"I've heard much about you and had to see for myself. Leading your party on a dangerous mission, you saved many lives and achieved what no one else has before. Your actions have certainly caught my attention."

He paused, letting the significance of his words resonate. "And surviving a werewolf attack is no small feat. I deeply apologize for the ordeals you've faced. We've been struggling with the threat of their kind for some time now. Additionally, I understand you have information about a dragon?"

As he spoke, he handed over a pouch filled with reward money for the successful quest, his eyes never leaving Paul's face.