Randsford (prime)/Vignette: Innocence Destroyed

This is a creative work set in the world of Elanthia, attributed to its original author(s). It does not necessarily represent the official lore of GemStone IV.

Title: Innocence Destroyed

Author: Randsford (prime)

Outside the Honeybeer Inn a figure stands solemnly watching his surroundings, the streets are empty except for a half-krolvin family busy collecting their goods they were attempting to peddle for some meager coin.

Suddenly a door slams open as a group of loud halflings stumbles out. The group laughs and sings a sloshed tune while one of the halflings walks over to a nearby flowerbed to relieve himself.

A familiar rumbling works its way throughout the town, the group stumbles causing a halfling to trample over the garden. The group stares to the west at the billowing clouds from the distant volcano. A halfling speaks, "Blow already and take all those good for nothing krolvin with ya!" The group cheers in agreement and begin to spout several expletives about krolvin.

Visibly upset, the half-krolvin mother hurries her children to pack quicker. Disturbed by the events the figure emerges and in a determined stride marches toward the garden knocking over one of the halflings. He stops in front of a crushed flower and kneels.

The felled halfling works to his feet and yells out, "You big dumb oaf! Watch where you are goi..", he stops mid sentence realizing whom he had just insulted. The figure remains still throughout as the halflings quietly murmur among themselves and decide it best to walk away while they still can.

The figure closes his eyes and begins to chant a small prayer to the withered flower. A pink light begins to glow around him causing the flower to twitch lightly before withering even further. The figure exhales a large sigh and just stares at the withered flower in disbelief.

Across the street an audible gasp is heard. The half-krolvin mother eyes well with tears as she packs the last few items and glances at the figure. She is uncertain which of the two atrocities she just witnessed she should be more frightened of. The family hurries around a corner out of sight trying to avoid any further confrontations, the figure quietly lingers.