4033 words (16 minute read)

Chapter 2: The Lone Wanderer

In the beginning, the world was made through the hand of God. Once, the earth was pure and peaceful, and many nations and many people prospered in the years that came and followed. The people of this world have always been loyal and still fell and worshipped God, the creator of Heaven and earth... the source of all light. But those days are over... and those days are a distant memory in the lands of the earth as the demons of Hell took control over it. And that’s when Delphine of Moria, the Ebony Warrior, started her journey and had a destiny to fulfill: to defeat the creatures of the night and whose purpose is to hunt down and beat the Grim Reaper.


Delphine began to roam in her youth, at the age of nineteen, she took the role of the Ebony Warrior and started her journey. The lands of the earth are plagued with demons and Daedra... the night hordes from the pits of Hell and creatures of darkness. Delphine feared none of them; she feared nothing... not even the cold stench of death that surrounded her wherever she went. She was a fearless woman, and she walked alone... nobody was there to assist her, and nobody was there even show her love. In this world, love is simply a rare thing that came and vanished from the people who lived to fight the demons and defend their cities.


Delphine was born in a land called Moria, once a large body of land next to Midland, where many people lived very peaceful lives. Many of these people were travelers and merchants from faraway lands and places that were quite common. Of course, she had a mother and a father who raised her and took care of her while she was a child. And so, Delphine lived out her childhood days, but those were the only peaceful days that she ever lived. Those days were now a distant memory of her life as she treads this long and dark road that lay before her feet.


Meanwhile, Delphine was walking forward, and she made her way towards a small village while behind it was a large castle. Some quite several people have seen the evil that lurks outside of their city, and they all came straight from the castle. The villagers spoke amongst themselves as they saw another dead body lying in the streets as the demons lurked around this city.



"This is the sixth one. Damn... the last one was just three days ago," one of them said. "What will we do at this rate?"


"There’s no doubt about it. It’s that cursed castle where the demons roam inside of it. So many demons came from that one castle for many years," another Villager said.


Then, some quite a several people were standing before the Jarl to see if there’s anything that must happen. One of them was a hunter, and he was young and carried a large bow, many arrows on his back, and wielded a long steel sword. His name is Simon, and he was from a faraway land that was taken from him, and he lived to hunt and survived.


"What will we do, Jarl? That’s the sixth one!" a Villager shouted.


"If we just sit here and wait, we’ll all be butchered!" another Villager shouted.


"They eat out your guts while you’re still alive!" A third villager shouted.


Simon stood there and looked down at the ground and ignored all the common folk who were beside him, screaming and yelling in despair. He had a short red beard and long red hair; his armor was made entirely of leather and steel to protect himself.


Then, he said to those villagers, "They come from the pits of Hell. They are no ordinary creatures to be killed by us. The Daedra rules all the castles of this world, and they are twice as stronger and twice as intelligent than the demons. They all come at night, and whenever they catch you... they will kill you, and they will do anything to make others stay away. Killing monsters is one thing, but killing demons... it takes twice as much risk than you can ever imagine."


"Oh... if you’re so smart, hunter... than why don’t you go and take care of the problem yourself?!" A villager asked.


"Enough!" The Jarl said. "I have told you all already, the demons will come back, and of course, they will take more of us and devour us. That is why we must be more than worthy of fighting back against these wretched creatures. Also... we received some news. It seems as if a warrior from a faraway land is coming here to deal with the situation. They call her... the Ebony Warrior."


The people looked and stared at the Jarl for a long while; some of them have heard numerous tales of Delphine of Moria; others have listened to nothing.


"The... Ebony... Warrior? Are you... serious?" A villager asked.


"The one who walks alone... the lone wanderer? The slayer of hundreds, no... thousands of Demons?!" another Villager asked.


"Yes. We have no choice. We might be able to defend these walls, but of all the people out there, it is that knight who can do it... she has the power," the Jarl said.


"My lord, how you can understand?" A third villager asked.


Then the Jarl said to them, "Don’t argue with me. I know it will cost us a great deal. But the way things are, the fate of the village is at stake. Either way, it’s dangerous. And we can’t go on living like this. The sooner we act, the better."


The villagers said nothing more to the Jarl, and they had nothing to say to him as they all stood there. Indeed, whether they like it or not, they had to put their trust in the Jarl as he gave his word to his people. And so, they left the Jarl and went on in their daily lives and went either back home or back to work. Simon also leaves the palace with the other people, and he stands next to the palace door and looks around. Like Delphine, he was a traveler who went to many places all by himself, with his weapons close to him and his armor always being kept to himself.


Suddenly, the housecarl of the Jarl came walking next to Simon as he wandered all over the city that was before him; his name is Dirge.


"I don’t know who you are. Are you here in Eastmarch looking for trouble?" He asked him.


"I’m just passing through," Simon answered.


Then, Dirge said to him, "Yeah? Well, I got news for you; there’s nothing to see here. The last thing we need around here besides killing monsters and demons is some stranger sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. In case if you didn’t know, the Ebony Warrior is simply someone that traverses the earth in search of a thing far worse than death. You see, the lower-levels of these people believe that such a warrior cursed with blood and darkness would come and save them, while the rest of us higher-level thinkers do not so accept such a person to do our dirty work.


"Indeed, many demons have fallen by our hand, so that means we have the nerve and the will to kill any monster that stands in our way. You see, I don’t need some mythical person who claims to hunt the night; someone who can kill a demon is more than enough for me. As Shield-Thane of the Jarl, I advise that you trust in the strength of your sword-arm, over myths and legends."


And suddenly, a large crowd of people began to be standing next to the front gate of the City as they began to see something amusing.


Who... is that? Simon wondered. He decided to walk where the people were standing to see who it was that was heading to their direction.


The villagers said aloud, "She’s here! It’s the Ebony Warrior! The one who walks in the darkness!" They saw her walking towards them, and not looking up to see who these people were.


She wore ebony armor, ebony boots, ebony gauntlets, and called her greatsword the "Crissaegrim." She also wore a very long black cloak that she uses to cover herself and make it easy to hide in the shadows. Simon looked at Delphine, and he stared at her along with everyone else; they have never seen a person carry and wear such things before.


The villagers of Eastmarch spoke amongst themselves again, saying, "She looks terrifying. I’ve never seen one before. So, she’s the one who killed thousands of demons. She’s just like the rumors say. She looks quite charming, and that sword is so big! I’ve heard people say she killed a lion... with her bare hands and ripped out the lungs of a werewolf!"


Simon begins to see something odd about this woman as she kept walking, and the people started to step aside to let her pass.


"Is this a good idea?" A villager asked.


"How do we know she won’t turn on us?" Another asked.


"She’s half-demon, after all," a third villager said.


"Why did the Jarl call for such a person?" A fourth villager asked. Simon wasn’t as suspicious as the other villagers that were standing there, even though he was a bit curious about this knight coming to Eastmarch.


And one of them answered and said, "We’ve got no choice. The only one that can stop a demon in human form is someone who is part demon. We have to trust her, even if she’s not like any of us."


Then, Delphine kept walking ahead and pretended as if she heard none of the villagers of Eastmarch say things about her. More people step aside to let Delphine pass, and so she walks on as they look and stare directly at her and nobody else. And as she walks, her long blonde hair began to breeze with the wind that blew over her and the villagers. She might’ve not looked like what the rumors say about her, but she did look beautiful and very cunning. Simon began to observe her while standing with the villagers and did nothing more as the people were surprised and shocked at everything about Delphine.


She was here because there were many demons abroad in the land, especially around Eastmarch, and the castle was her destination.


"You fool! What did you go and say that for?! What if she gets angry and comes after us?!" One of them shouted.


Simon’s ignorance about the other people was what made him keep looking forward, and he never looked behind... only ahead. Before Delphine could go any further, she went to the Jarl to speak with him about some matters that she must attend to.


Then the Jarl said to her, "Welcome. I am Dengeir; I’m the Jarl of Eastmarch. I’ve been waiting for you... or someone like you. Well, then... let’s get down to it. Here’s a bag of money for your service. It’s all here; please see for yourself."


Then, Delphine answered and said to him, "Not yet. After the job is done, it will not be a problem for you or me. I do not need any money. If someone’s in danger, I help them... not get so eager about what will happen. And in any case, if I get killed, there will be no reason to pay."


"Oh... I see. So then... what happens now? Will it be easy finding them?" Dengeir asked.


"That depends. If the monster has suppressed its monster aura enough, it will be hard to detect. But do not worry, I will sniff them out. Eventually, one of us will lie dead somewhere in that castle," Delphine said.


And so, Delphine left the Jarl’s palace, and she went back outside where everyone saw her and scattered... except for one. And then, the Jarl stumbled back onto his throne, and he felt his heart beating very quickly and could not stop it.


"That took a few years off my life. It was even scarier than I expected. I thought she would be more human. But I felt... like I was facing a monster," Dengeir said.


Delphine was walking in town and saw that the sun was about to go down, and yet, she knew what would come. As she walked, the people were terrified at Delphine’s presence as they were staring at her, and they hurried to their homes. Her very existence always caused quite a stir to villagers, for they’ve never seen a person such as Delphine before. Then, she started to hear footsteps coming towards her as she walked around Eastmarch. Delphine pulls out her ebony greatsword, and she swings it back to see who it is that was following her.


It was Simon who was following Delphine from behind, and the razor-sharp blade comes to a quick stop as it was before Simon’s face. Delphine noticed that he wasn’t anyone worthy of being killed, but just a mere wanderer, just like herself. Simon began to shiver down his spine, and lots of sweat started to fall from his face.


"What was that for? I wasn’t doing anything wrong! I was only walking behind you," Simon said. Delphine stares at him for a brief moment as she puts her sword back to her holder and starts to walk around in the village again.


Simon started to walk behind Delphine as she had no business to speak with anybody at the moment, let alone some ordinary hunter.


"Hey, is it true what they say? That you’re the Ebony Warrior?" Simon asked.


"I am. But not everything they said about me is true. Your people thrust that name upon me," Delphine said.


"Oh... I get it. Still, I can’t believe it. You look like an ordinary girl. I guess I thought you’d be big and fearsome," Simon said. Delphine looks back at Simon, and she gave him a confused look, and he looked back at her for a few seconds.


"You’re very strange. Do not fear me," Delphine said.


"No, not at all. You’re just like an ordinary girl. You’re not so common. You’re prettier than the girls around here," Simon said. Delphine did not look behind her, but she did see that he was blushing as he said that to her.


"Hey, wait! I didn’t mean it like that," Simon said. And so, Simon continued to follow Delphine from behind, and he started to feel very interested in her.


"Where are you going? That leads out of the village," he said.


"This is the edge of the village?" She asked.


"Yes, beyond here are just the mines," Simon answered. Then, Delphine stabs her greatsword into the ground, and she gently sits herself down on the ground after doing a whole lot of walking.


It is evident that she was done walking, and it was something that she has done through the majority of her whole life.


"What are you doing?" Simon asked.


"Rest time. I’ve been walking for three days," Delphine answered. Simon started to understand some of the things that she said to him, and he began to keep it all to himself.


He looks back and forth to see if anyone was coming or not, and thankfully, there was nobody to see the two of them. Simon walks next to Delphine, and he also pulls out his long sword, he stabs it onto the ground, and he also sits down. Delphine starts to see something different about this man, far different than anyone she has ever come across.


"What is it? Why have you taken an interest in me?" Delphine asked.


"Well, you’re the Ebony Warrior," Simon answered.


"I told you before, your people picked that name," she said.


"Oh... right. Anyway, you came here to kill the Demons. That means you’re the one who’ll grant everyone’s wishes here. I’ve wandered through this village, and everyone that I’ve come across has said that it is the castle that’s causing all this racket."


Delphine sat there on the ground, and she stared at Simon as he was talking to her of this subject; she was not one to take advice or have someone’s wish to be granted.


Then Simon said to her, "You see, I was walking around and minding my own business. I’ve traveled across the many roads of this world and saw nothing more than death. It has plagued countless villages, and pretty much every town has a sort of barrier to protect themselves from the night hordes. Every single night, there is nothing but death and destruction caused by none other than the demons. Of course, if I was strong enough, I could go to that cursed tower myself. Now that you are here, the people fear you of what you did.


"You are a mighty warrior; you’re the only one who’s going to kill every last one of them."


And Delphine said to him, "Well, you’re half-right. I’m only doing this because it’s what I do and because there’s no other way. I’m not here to fulfill anyone’s wish, and I’m not doing this so these people can have their revenge. I’m just a lone wanderer on the face of the earth, and I hunt the creatures of darkness."


"I know. That’s just as good. Speaking of which, are you quite sure you don’t need a place to stay?" Simon asked.


"What makes you say that?" Delphine asked.


"Well, you seem tired and worn out. And I thought if I could offer you something that could keep you calm and feel well-rested," he answered.


"I thank you for the kind offer, but I can’t stay here for too long."


"Why? Is there somewhere else you need to be at?"


"That’s none of your concern. If I told you, you would never believe me. And if I told you, you would be afraid of me. Word would spread all over, and then I would be what they refer to me as. I may be the Ebony Warrior, but in my heart, I’m just a hunter, nothing more."


"Oh... I get it." And so, Simon got himself up from the ground, and he picks up his long sword, and he puts it back to his Scabbard.


"Hold up. Before I leave here, could I ask you a favor?" Delphine asked.


"Yeah. Sure," Simon answered.


"When I come back, can you provide me a place with you to visit?" She asked. It wasn’t like her to give a request to someone that she just met, or never met before in her life.


"Of course. There’s an inn in this village, the safest place beside the palace. If there’s anything you need, I’ll help. By the way, my name’s Simon. What’s yours?" Simon asked.


"Delphine. My name is Delphine. But many people seem to forget what my name is," She said. And then, she also gets up from the ground, picks up her Ebony Greatsword, and she puts it back into her Scabbard.


"I must be going now. We’ll meet again," Delphine said. And so, she went her way as Simon went his way back into the village to stay there for a few days.


Delphine went out from Eastmarch, and she started to walk on the long and dark road that went ever on and on. The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began, now far ahead the road has gone, and she must follow if she can. Pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some more significant way, where many paths and errands meet, and whither, then she could not say. And as she walked on this road, she started to think about Simon being with her and talking to her. He was a fascinating person and far more different than most men that she ever came across as she walked on this Earth.


For a brief moment, she started to feel the breeze around her and she started a small sense of peace come into her. Although she was a warrior that fought against the creatures of darkness, she still knew and believed in God and believed that he never abandoned her. And before the sun started to set, she started to see a few flowers blooming next to the road that she is walking on. And so, Delphine began to sing, softly.


To God be the glory, great things He hath done,

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,

And opened the life gate that all may go in.


Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!

Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.


Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,

To every believer the promise of God;

The vilest offender who truly believes,

That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.


Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!

Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.


Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,

And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;

But purer, and higher, and greater will be

Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.


Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!

Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

And so, Delphine finished singing and she continued to walk on the long and dark road that went ever on and on. Suddenly, as she walked, she saw the large castle before her eyes, and the moon started to shine in the sky.

Next Chapter: Chapter 3: Castle of Death