{"id":20622,"date":"2019-08-15T11:11:19","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T15:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=20622"},"modified":"2019-09-19T08:20:24","modified_gmt":"2019-09-19T12:20:24","slug":"the-whispers-chapter-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/the-whispers-chapter-three\/","title":{"rendered":"The Whispers – Chapter Three"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello there readers.\u00a0 Welcome back to another chapter of Tellest’s newest feature, the “interactive” story, The Whispers<\/em>\u2014a story which you and readers like you are helping me tell.\u00a0 For ease of navigation, I’m going to have little mini tables of contents on these posts, so feel free to use them to jump around and discover how The Whispers<\/em> works, how you can help steer the direction of the main character’s choices, and, of course, read the story.\u00a0 I hope you enjoy taking part in this interesting new Tellest adventure!<\/p>\n

The Whispers Concept<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Whispers – Chapter Three<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Voting Instructions<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>The Whispers<\/em> Concept<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Whispers is a story that takes place within the Tellest universe.\u00a0 It’s a story that is written by Michael DeAngelo, but it’s told with help from the readers.\u00a0 The Whispers follows Declan, a young man who was recently evicted from the temple where he grew up.\u00a0 When he was younger, he used to hear voices, and the clergy interpreted those voices in ways that they thought brought them closer to divinity.\u00a0 But with the whispers growing quiet, Declan was no longer needed at the temple, and he was instead shipped off to a nearby adventurers’ guild.\u00a0 The voices have recently returned in his time of need, and have offered him advice on what to do in order to survive.<\/p>\n

If you haven’t already figured it out,\u00a0you<\/em> are one of those potential whispers!\u00a0 At the end of every chapter, Declan is given a choice.\u00a0 Every reader has the chance to vote and influence Declan’s decision, as long as you’re a member of the Tellest newsletter.\u00a0 Every time you vote, your voice holds more sway as well.\u00a0 Everyone who casts their vote in earlier chapters will now have a stronger voice, and Declan will hear them a little clearer.\u00a0 So for your voice to be heard best, you should get in on this story early.\u00a0 There is another way to gain additional voting power, but that will be described in the voting instructions at the end of this post.<\/p>\n

First thing is first: you’ve got to read the story (starting with chapter one<\/a>, if you prefer).\u00a0 Then if you’re not already a member of the newsletter, go ahead and sign up!\u00a0 Tellest has awesome freebies that we give out right away at sign-up, and more that come along every few weeks.<\/p>\n

Without much further adieu, let’s continue our tale, and find out the most recent choice Declan made with the help of our Council of Whispers…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>Chapter Three:
\n<\/strong>Stable Condition<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ilayeth turned to her side, letting the goblin fall from her shoulder.\u00a0 He landed with a thud upon the table, and she worked at lifting his legs upon the furniture as well.\u00a0 The injured intruder was not much bigger than her, and his lean build made it easy for her to transport him to a better lit area.<\/p>\n

Still, when she was free of her burden, her breaths came ragged and fast, when it was a deep sigh of relief that she would have truly hoped for.<\/p>\n

She looked over her shoulder then, toward the opened partition in the room.\u00a0 The newest recruit to the guild bowed his head, looking at the puddle of blood that pooled on the ground where the goblin had fallen.\u00a0 His mop of brown hair covered his eyes as he bent his head lower and lower. \u00a0She could see as he raised his free hand, as though he was ready to chant some unknown spell into existence.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan,\u201d the half-elven maiden pressed again.\u00a0 \u201cDeclan, I need you over here.\u201d<\/p>\n

If he had managed to hear her, it wasn\u2019t apparent.\u00a0 Ilayeth growled and looked back to the goblin cleric who had attacked her guild along with his allies.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll not die here,\u201d she promised.\u00a0 \u201cIf you die, it will be by my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the other side of the wall, Declan paced as the whispers in his head argued their points over one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe tried to kill you.\u00a0 Why would you allow him another chance by saving his life?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe could have valuable information. \u00a0You\u2019ve already proven you can defeat him if you need to.\u00a0 You\u2019ve disarmed him, so he\u2019ll be even less prepared to contest you.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t need the book in order to enact his magic.\u00a0 There is another way.\u00a0 You know now that magic is unpredictable, dangerous, but\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, like a clarion call, as clear as the ringing of any bell, one of the whispers broke through, and sounded as though whoever was speaking was right beside him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan, find the goblin\u2019s purpose.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 All at once, it seemed as though all the other voices had grown silent.\u00a0 As if it knew it had reached him, the whisper continued.\u00a0 \u201cLend Ilayeth your hand and do what you can to keep him alive.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

He took in a deep breath as the sound of the serene, feminine voice dissipated, leaving him to hear only the maiden\u2019s frantic struggles and the goblin\u2019s ragged, panicked breaths.\u00a0 Declan nodded and looked to his new staff, intent on doing what he could to aid the situation.<\/p>\n

As he entered the side chamber, Ilayeth looked up at him.\u00a0 \u201cI know you now,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the one that hears voices.\u00a0 The others who knew about you said that the temple was releasing you of your duties there because you were no longer a conduit to the voices.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Declan replied.\u00a0 \u201cThey did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it doesn\u2019t look like the voices are quiet anymore.\u00a0 What are they saying now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan took another step forward and sent a confident gaze toward the maiden.\u00a0 \u201cSometimes the whispers want different things.\u00a0 But I am the one who decides.\u00a0 When I hear one that rings truest to me, that is the one I listen to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s make sure this goblin lives long enough to regret attacking the guild.\u201d<\/p>\n

The long gestating sigh of relief finally left Ilayeth\u2019s lips as Declan drew nearer.\u00a0 She moved aside so her new companion could inspect the injured goblin.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what to do here?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, luckily when I was at the temple, I wasn\u2019t sitting about pretending to be some prophet who only spoke in riddles.\u00a0 While the clergy there always kept an eye on me to see when I would next give them a message from the gods, I kept an eye on them, studying them in their activities.\u00a0 More than once I saw several of the clerics heal those who were injured.\u00a0 But I\u2019ve never seen an injury this bad\u2014and I don\u2019t have the magic they had.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have to make do with my magic then,\u201d Ilayeth said.\u00a0 \u201cTell me what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan glanced down at the intruder and back to his guildmate then.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s not much to tell.\u00a0 He\u2019s got an axe in his shoulder and he\u2019s bleeding to death.\u00a0 We take the axe out and seal the wound as best we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilayeth nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWhen he recovers, we\u2019ll find out why all this carnage befell our guild.\u201d\u00a0 She swallowed away her apprehension and wrapped her fingers around the handle of Tornig\u2019s axe.\u00a0 With a fierce tug, she pulled the crescent blade from beneath the goblin\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

At once, blood started pouring from the wound.\u00a0 The goblin screamed in horror at the greater sense of pain before his eyes fluttered and he fell back upon the table, a reprieve finally found in oblivion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s too much blood,\u201d Ilayeth said.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t see where I need to use my magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t worry about being precise here,\u201d Declan protested.\u00a0 \u201cWho cares if we leave a scar?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilayeth grumbled and swept her hand over the wound, trying to clear off the distracting blood.\u00a0 She cringed as she felt his wound.\u00a0 \u201cThis won\u2019t just be a minor fire I have to summon, Declan.\u00a0 The flames need to be intense and accurate.\u00a0 They\u2019ll drain me beyond my measures.\u201d\u00a0 She looked to him for aid once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan blew out an unsteady breath and looked to his staff, attempting to bring forth its power once more.\u00a0 He remembered the first time he felt its magic flowing through him, and he tried to recreate that sensation.\u00a0 When the circular headpiece began to glow, he knew that he could channel the magic of his own accord after all.<\/p>\n

Still, when he began directing mystically-summoned wind, he could feel it wearing him thin.\u00a0 It was as Ilayeth suggested: the magic was draining him\u2014and without any prior studies, Declan felt like a candle whose flame was close to extinguishing in the wind.<\/p>\n

He gnashed his teeth together and reached out, extending his fingers as he focused on the goblin\u2019s wound.\u00a0 At once, the magic cast the intruder\u2019s blood away from the injury, and Ilayeth set to work.<\/p>\n

Declan couldn\u2019t ignore the warmth on his brow. \u00a0Though he considered that it could have been due to the intense heat that his guildmate spoke of, the thought was dismissed at once, for he could feel his own magic siphoning his energy from him.\u00a0 It was almost, he thought, as though the staff was growing hungrier with every passing moment.<\/p>\n

When Ilayeth completed the cauterization of the goblin\u2019s wound, Declan ceased his channeling of magic as well.\u00a0 Without his energy siphoning out of him, it was as though a new weight was added to him, and he teetered backward.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan,\u201d the half-elf maiden gasped as she reached out to him.<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t fight back against his lightheadedness. \u00a0Declan thudded to the wall and saw sparks within his vision.\u00a0 As he struggled with his lack of focus, a dark spot appeared before him.\u00a0 Shaking his head, he blinked away his stupor in time to understand he and Ilayeth were no longer alone.<\/p>\n

The gnoll, Ignark, who he had incapacitated earlier was awake once more, and just as Declan could feel his own awareness beginning to slip.\u00a0 With Ilayeth likewise fatigued, he knew they were in trouble.<\/p>\n

With a growl slipping from the gnoll\u2019s snout, he stomped forward.\u00a0 Despite his fading vision, Declan saw his half-elf friend extend her hand toward Ignark, but it was too late.\u00a0 He swatted her away and reached toward her small frame.<\/p>\n

Another growl resonated nearby, and Declan wondered if it was perhaps a trick of his fading mind.\u00a0 But when that growl turned into a gruff roar, he knew that there was something else to the noise.\u00a0 A diminutive figure rushed in beside him, and slammed into the gnoll, eliciting a loud, sudden cry.<\/p>\n

Declan couldn\u2019t see anything beyond a series of blurs by then.<\/p>\n

As strange as it was, the sounds of the contest of strength slowly lulled him to slumber.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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It was silent once more.\u00a0 With eyes closed, Declan wondered if everything he had experienced was a dream.\u00a0 Life had never been that chaotic or strange.<\/p>\n

Perhaps, he considered, he was still in the temple.<\/p>\n

In the back of his mind, he knew that was not the case.\u00a0 The bed beneath him was far more comfortable, for one.\u00a0 He opened his eyes and took a moment to acclimate to his surroundings.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a stone ceiling over his head, but fine oaken slats.<\/p>\n

He was still in the guild lodge, he assumed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYe\u2019ve got the most adorable little snores,\u201d he heard then.<\/p>\n

Though he was wearier than he ever remembered, he labored to sit up.\u00a0 There, near the door to the room, sat a likewise weary dwarf who wore a wide smile despite it all.<\/p>\n

\u201cTornig?\u201d Declan asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho else do ye think it is?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cI thought ye said ye didn\u2019t know many other dwarves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2026you were\u2026\u201d his voice trailed off.<\/p>\n

\u201cDead?\u201d Tornig finished for him.\u00a0 \u201cBah, ye seen me taking a little nap is all.\u00a0 That goblin came in here casting spell after spell and before I knowed it, my eyes were drooping.\u00a0 Down I went,\u201d he said, mimicking his fall with his hand.<\/p>\n

Declan sat a little taller after hearing that explanation.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the rest of the guild?\u201d<\/p>\n

The grin left the dwarf\u2019s face then.\u00a0 \u201cThere are a few of our mates who are gonna have a hard time for a long while. \u00a0Someone else was slinging bottles or canteens that were filled with nasty stuff.\u00a0 But one by one a handful of us rose from our sleep and started to put things back together.\u00a0 My guess is when ye stole me axe and popped the goblin with it, he couldn\u2019t concentrate on keeping us asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan scrunched his eyes, trying to make sense of everything that happened.\u00a0 \u201cThe last thing I remembered, we\u2019d saved the goblin.\u00a0 Ilayeth and I singed his wound shut, and that\u2019s when\u2014\u201d His eyes grew wide when he remembered the gnoll\u2019s sudden appearance.\u00a0 \u201cThe goblin\u2019s ally attacked us.\u00a0 Is Ilayeth alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYe don\u2019t remember me coming to save the day?\u201d Tornig scoffed.<\/p>\n

Still fighting back his fatigue, Declan dug the heels of his hands into his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cThat was you that tackled the gnoll?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye it was!\u201d Tornig assured.\u00a0 \u201cGot him good with the horn on me helmet too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou killed him?\u201d Declan wondered.<\/p>\n

Tornig folded his arms over his chest and arched his eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYe did see how big that fella was, didn\u2019t ye?\u00a0 I had him yowling like a wolf in a trap, but that little stab wasn\u2019t gonna put him down so easy.\u00a0 That\u2019s what these were for.\u201d\u00a0 The dwarf stuck out his fists and nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo where are he and the goblin now?\u00a0 Where is the rest of the guild?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rising off the chair, Tornig unclenched his fists, holding out his hands to placate the newest guild member.\u00a0 \u201cSettle down there, lad.\u00a0 We have everything under control now.\u00a0 Ye\u2019re just flustered because this happened the day ye got here, but the Adventurers of Eladia have to deal with this kind of thing all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese kinds of attacks happen often?\u201d Declan asked in a panic.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s\u2014\u201d Tornig grumbled at the confusion brewing between he and the young man.\u00a0 \u201cListen: there\u2019s always something incredible happening in this guild.\u00a0 Whether its adventures to far-off places, or a plea for help from some unfortunate soul out in the countryside.\u00a0 This is the first time we\u2019ve ever been attacked like this though.\u00a0 We\u2019ve made sure the fools \u2018at tried to bump us off won\u2019t be able to do anything again, and we\u2019ve posted up a guard at each entryway to make sure we\u2019re not caught unawares anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs for the goblin and his friend\u2026\u201d the dwarf went on.\u00a0 He moved toward the window, sweeping aside the curtain there.\u00a0 \u201cNo doubt Erik pointed out the stable to you when you first arrived.\u00a0 He probably told you the next few months of your life were going to be jumping between cleaning the larder and shoveling after the horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t,\u201d Declan replied.\u00a0 \u201cBut I could see him doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSince a handful of our leading members are off scouring the ruins of the Grey Arches, it left some room in the stable.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got the bastard intruders tied up in there\u2014on opposite sides of the building of course.\u00a0 We wouldn\u2019t want them working together on a scheme or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat goblin had command over magic, Tornig,\u201d Declan protested.\u00a0 \u201cIf he gets a chance to speak even a few words\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The dwarf waved his hand at the notion.\u00a0 \u201cIlayeth is already five steps ahead of ye, lad.\u00a0 She\u2019s got something stuck in place over his face, and he hasn\u2019t been able to utter a damned word since.\u201d\u00a0 He set his gaze upon the recruit then.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I\u2019m more interested in is the magic that came out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

His deliberate, cleaner accent caught Declan off guard then.\u00a0 He looked at his hands as though there could be some answer there, but a moment later he merely shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThat wasn\u2019t me,\u201d he assured.\u00a0 \u201cThat was the magic from the staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but there\u2019s been plenty of people who\u2019ve investigated that staff over the last several years, and nobody\u2019s ever come close to making it sing the way ye did.\u201d\u00a0 Tornig glanced at the furthest corner of the room from he and the recruit.\u00a0 When Declan followed his eyes there, he saw the staff with the ringed headpiece there.\u00a0 \u201cEven our artificer, Ezra, couldn\u2019t get that thing to speak to him, and he feels the pull of the aether more than anyone else in this place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan hummed to himself.\u00a0 \u201cWell, hearing things speak to me is kind of what I\u2019m known for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u00a0 Ilayeth told me that she saw ye chattering to yerself or the like when she was trying to keep the goblin from bleeding out.\u00a0 I remember Mason telling us about ye a few weeks ago.\u00a0 So, how\u2019s it happen?\u00a0 What\u2019s your story, lad?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pushing out an unsettled breath, Declan ignored the question and glanced out the window until Tornig stepped in the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m making sure yer head is on straight,\u201d the dwarf said.\u00a0 \u201cHumor me, will ye?\u00a0 Once yer done, I\u2019ll take ye out to the stable and you, me and Ilayeth can find out what\u2019s going on with our new friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how it all started,\u201d Declan revealed.\u00a0 \u201cAll I know is that for the earlier parts of my life, I moved around more than a child should.\u00a0 I ended up alone at an orphanage, and it didn\u2019t take long for them to figure out why.\u00a0 I would talk to people who weren\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tornig shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cLots of wee ones do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but the imaginary people who I talked to really did talk back,\u201d Declan pressed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd more importantly, they convinced me to do things\u2014things that I shouldn\u2019t have been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of trouble did ye get into, lad?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was lucky that I was always found out before I could get too deep into anything.\u00a0 But I remember I tried to break into the headmaster\u2019s office.\u00a0 I tried to break out of the orphanage.\u00a0 One time I brandished a knife and refused to go back to my room.\u00a0 All because the whispers in the back of my mind suggested I do so.\u00a0 Eventually, all the other children knew better than to associate with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan sighed. \u00a0\u201cWhen everyone thought I was too dangerous to remain at the orphanage, they were trying to determine where to send me.\u00a0 For a while, I thought they were going to send me off to a prison or to work in some far off mine where no one would ever see me again.\u00a0 But before any decisions could be made, someone from the temple sent word of wanting to see me.\u00a0 Apparently one of the parents who visited the orphanage had heard of me in passing.\u00a0 When they adopted another boy, he told them all he knew about me, and word traveled, until it reached the temple.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey thought there was more to the whispers than what I could sense on the surface,\u201d Declan went on.\u00a0 \u201cThey thought it was proof that the gods spoke to men, and they were convinced that I was meant to come live with them, to tell them the things the gods wanted them to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut ye aren\u2019t at the temple anymore,\u201d Tornig said.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t that where we just picked ye up from?\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring out the window again, Declan considered the comment.\u00a0 \u201cThe whispers were gone\u2014nearly anyway.\u00a0 The brothers at the temple would come to me day after day and ask me to tell them what the voices were saying, and time and again, they would try to determine what those statements meant.\u00a0 They treated me like some kind of soothsayer, even though I\u2019ve never been told anything other than commands or riddles. \u00a0And I suspect that when I stopped listening\u2014really listening\u2014to the whispers, they stopped trying to tell me whatever it was they wanted me to know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut here ye are in our guild, and the voices come right back,\u201d the dwarf said.\u00a0 \u201cFrom what I heared, we were just happy ta get another pair of helping hands in the building, but it seems like ye came with a little bit more than what we bargained with.\u00a0 Only time will tell if the voices are good or bad, I suppose.\u201d\u00a0 He tilted his head and hummed at that thought.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do the voices want ye ta do now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan didn\u2019t realize it, but he was trying his best to keep them silent during his conversation with Tornig.\u00a0 As soon as his question was asked though, it was as though he had opened a sluice in his mind, letting a flood of whispers through.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re still a danger, no matter what he says.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHurry to the stable.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t save his life for nothing.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

He swallowed away the tension building in his throat and rose from the bed.\u00a0 Shuffling off his fatigue, Declan made his way to the corner of the room, grabbing hold of the staff as though it had always belonged to him.\u00a0 He turned to his guildmate and nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if the voices didn\u2019t tell me so, I would want to do this.\u201d\u00a0 He looked out of the window, to the stables, where a handful of other Adventures of Eladia stood watch.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s time to see those who attacked the guild.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Tornig walked ahead of the lad, into the open meadow behind the guild hall.\u00a0 If the dwarf had sustained any injuries in the attack, none of them showed.\u00a0 He almost looked eager to get to the building beside the forest, and when he looked over his shoulder and confirmed that the recruit was still behind him, his gait looked even more determined.<\/p>\n

A tall, broad fellow at the entrance to the stable pointed his chin at the approaching smallfolk and stood up straighter when he drew near.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re bringing the new arrival.\u201d\u00a0 He laid his hands upon the handle of a huge greataxe that rested upon its head on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, I am,\u201d Tornig said.\u00a0 \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for Declan, ye probably wouldn\u2019t be standing here now\u2014struggling though ye are.\u00a0 And don\u2019t go on pretending that ye weren\u2019t the \u2018new arrival\u2019 not long ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan held fast behind the dwarf, standing in the dirt that cast out from the entrance to the building.\u00a0 The horses had trodden over the ground enough that no grass would grow there for some time without extra care.<\/p>\n

Turning his attention from the grass and dirt then, Declan took a better account of the man guarding the stable.\u00a0 Tornig\u2019s words lingered in his air, louder than the whispers scratching at the back of his mind.\u00a0 The man was an imposing figure at first, but Declan found softer, younger features there as well.\u00a0 Long, thick hair hung down over his face, and a scruffy beard hid his cheeks, chin and mouth.\u00a0 He wore a cloak clasped at his shoulder, but it left his bare upper torso exposed to the elements.\u00a0 That naked chest was perhaps Declan\u2019s best understanding of the fellow\u2019s age.\u00a0 Only a tuft of curly chest hairs sat there, the rest of him clean and smooth.\u00a0 The barbarian couldn\u2019t have been much older than he was, he reckoned.<\/p>\n

The man jerked his head to the side, sweeping the hair out of his face.\u00a0 All at once then, he seemed imposing once again.\u00a0 For without the locks to shield his features, Declan could see the terrible scar carved out down his brow and across one of his eyes.<\/p>\n

Doing his best not to recoil, Declan remained there, staring at the bridge of the man\u2019s nose.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Orn,\u201d Tornig said to the recruit.\u00a0 \u201cWhat ye see here is his attempts to rattle ye with his purdy eye.\u00a0 It\u2019s also the reason they call him Orn One-Eye.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan squared his jaw and nodded, not sure what to say to such a thing.\u00a0 When Orn chose not to react further either, the three of them stood in silence for a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a shame,\u201d Declan finally said.\u00a0 He swept his free hand behind his back, if only to hide his shaking.\u00a0 \u201cIf you had two working eyes, maybe you would have seen me saving the guild hall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though nothing further was said, and it grew silent once more, all three men felt as though another explosion had just gone off.\u00a0 Tornig\u2019s eyes widened as he alternated glances between the two men.\u00a0 Declan waited there in silence, but the dwarf noticed he began leaning back, as if expecting a tremendous incoming blow.<\/p>\n

Orn, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes\u2014both the good one and the scarred one\u2014as his lips scrunched into a pursed frown.\u00a0 Within seconds though, he couldn\u2019t keep it from stretching into a reluctant grin, even his eyes beginning to show signs of uncontrolled satisfaction at the quick jab.<\/p>\n

He gave a subtle bow of his head, and stepped aside, clearing the way for the Tornig and Declan.<\/p>\n

The dwarf tapped his newest companion on the leg and urged him on.\u00a0 Together, the two of them disappeared into the darkened stable.<\/p>\n

Inside, only a few lanterns helped to offer any light.\u00a0 Two more members of the guild, both sturdy looking fellows, stood guard, one at either end of the building, before opened stalls there.<\/p>\n

As Tornig and Declan looked down one long stretch of the stable, they saw Ilayeth step out of the furthest stall on one end, her hand splayed across her forehead.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t acknowledge the guard who waited there, but she stopped in her tracks once she realized others had entered the building beyond the sentinels she had placed.<\/p>\n

\u201cTornig,\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYe aren\u2019t looking so happy, lass,\u201d the dwarf returned.\u00a0 \u201cEverything alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything is fine,\u201d Ilayeth assured, but as she proceeded onward, she gestured with her finger for the two recent arrivals to follow her.<\/p>\n

They followed along, entering the stall that stood just beyond the entrance.\u00a0 She waited a moment to feel a sense of the silence that far from the ends of the building, and then she drew in closer toward Tornig and Declan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t seem to wrench any information out of either of them,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gnoll and the goblin?\u201d Declan wondered.<\/p>\n

Ilayeth nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI want to know why they attacked the guild.\u00a0 But every time it seems like I\u2019m getting somewhere from them, they hush up and lock it up tighter than a treasury vault.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBah,\u201d Tornig said.\u00a0 \u201cYe\u2019re just being too soft on them.\u00a0 If I had to guess, ye\u2019ve never tortured someone in yer life.\u00a0 Ye don\u2019t have the stomach for it, lass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you do?\u201d<\/p>\n

The dwarf folded his arms over his chest.\u00a0 \u201cIf it\u2019s needed, I know what needs doin\u2019.\u00a0 And trust me, if I had yer magic flowing through me, I would have already learned what they had for supper a year ago today!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your voice down,\u201d Ilayeth chastised.\u00a0 She let a quiet grumble pass through her lips before she looked at Declan.\u00a0 In the soft light of the stable, she almost missed the sight of his staff.\u00a0 \u201cIf you want magic, look no further than to our new friend,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cDeclan was the one who stopped both of the intruders, did he not?\u00a0 Albeit, the gnoll was not halted for good.\u00a0 Thank you for protecting us in those last moments, Tornig.\u201d\u00a0 She waved her hands then, returning to the point she was trying to make.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps just the sight of Declan will loosen their lips somewhat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tornig shrugged at the thought. \u00a0\u201cYe could be right.\u00a0 But there\u2019s still two prisoners to question.\u00a0 And they each have means of holding onto their secrets, I\u2019m sure.\u00a0 The gnoll is going to be tough as nails, and the goblin knows how to hold onto pain, I\u2019d reckon.\u00a0 He knows there\u2019s a potential to heal himself if he ever gets out of this predicament.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I could interrogate one of them while you both question the other,\u201d the half-elf said.\u00a0 \u201cAny thoughts?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t we let the fella with all the answers decide?\u201d Tornig posed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you say, lad?\u00a0 What do your voices tell ye now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan could hear the whispers begin to chatter and rattle like messenger birds fighting to escape their cages.\u00a0 Knowing that one of those messages would soon break free, he waited to hear it with new clarity.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t expect to hear their commands offer up different instructions than what the dwarf and the half-elf suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t who you interrogate that\u2019s important,\u201d <\/em>one of the whispers said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s how you do it that matters.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThreatening words and actions don\u2019t often yield believable results.\u00a0 But if you give even one of them something that they want\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve proven they can\u2019t be trusted, Declan.\u00a0 Be firm with your interrogation.\u00a0 Fear of repercussions will urge them to speak truths.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan passed alternating glances between the two ends of the stable, as though he could see the prisoners they had bound there.\u00a0 He knew that a choice was to be made, and that the result could give them the clue they had been searching for.\u00a0 One wrong move, though, could topple the foundation of the guild.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Continue with Chapter Four<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>Voting Has Ended for This Period<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once more, Declan has a choice to make that you will influence, and it could end up producing very different results.\u00a0 Will he choose a darker path, the whispers directing him to torture the prisoners, or will he choose, with your help, to take a more benevolent route?\u00a0 As always, your voice, along with the other voices that make up the Council of Whispers will help determine the flow of this tale.<\/del><\/p>\n

You have until the 28th of this month to safely join the Tellest Newsletter<\/a> in time to cast your vote.\u00a0 I’ll be sending out newsletter emails to my readers, with the choice to torture or negotiate with the invaders.\u00a0 Then, starting September 1st, I’ll tally up the votes and see how the whispers influenced Declan.<\/del><\/p>\n

Remember, there are two ways for you to accumulate voting power in The Whispers:<\/del><\/p>\n