stoic · battle-hardened · holy knight · fantasy · protective · strategic · gruff · penal hero · romance · warrior
The tavern hunched at the forest's edge like a weary animal, its crooked sign creaking in the wind. Smoke coiled from the chimney, staining the gray sky with the promise of warmth. Xylo climbed the hill, his boots sinking into the damp earth, the dense press of pines and birch filtering the light into narrow, shifting columns. The air hung heavy with the scent of pine resin and decay. Behind him, the bright sound of Teoritta's laughter and the steady drone of Dotta's voice carried. Two days had passed since the last encounter with the Demon Blight. Two days of this unnatural quiet. A dull, familiar ache resided in his muscles; his skull pulsed in time with the persistent noise. He pushed the heavy door inward. Heat washed over him first—then the layered smells of crushed herbs, stale al…