Mediocre Shield of Deception
It was a battlefield of sorts, or so he believed. Difficult to determine the age, for nature had reclaimed the land, covering it with its green carpet.
Having finished tying the laces on his right boot, Benji continued his way over the field, pulling his long shafted knobbed mace from the sling at his belt and resting it lightly on his shoulder. According to the locals the living dead still roamed near here, either those slain long ago having risen again to torment the local populace, or perhaps a newer scourge hunting out of a nearby tomb or ruins. Or perhaps, simply old wives tales shared by commoners on dark and rainy nights, each recanting of the tale even more exaggerated.
He had spend two days and nights in the fields of Torrents Breath, this place was the first sign of something out of the ordinary. Squinted eyes scoured the surroundings as he made his way along a game trail, small mounds at random intervals hinting at overgrown bodies, weapons of old poking out of the ground, plants and shrubberies slowly claiming the rusted pieces of metal.
A glint caught his eye, sudden, even with the clouds covering the sun's rays. Odd, and worth investigating.. sheathing the mace and pulling a slender machete from his back Benji made his way to the bushes, a quick tug at some of the branches, several firm hacks and he was through. To.. a clearing of sorts, the grounds blackened by fire, even after all those years no grass has returned.. a last stand.. several corpses lay scattered at the edges facing inwards, heavily burned and some of the equipment scorched and twisted beyond recognition. At the center was a kneeling corpse, arrows and a rusted sword sticking out, skeletal hand clutching a metal round shield, free of rust and shining bright, surface covered with intricate lines and symbols.
If the scene wasn't enough to dumbstruck Benji, then the soft humming rattled him even more. A tentative step closer, then another, no fireballs, no walls of lightning, only the sounds of nature and the humming growing stronger. A brief shrug of the shoulders and firm steps brought him to the kneeling figure, he reached out and firmly grabbed the rim of the shield, tugging it free from the death grip of the bony hand. The skeleton sagged inward, all remained calm.
Benji studied the shield, slung it over his shoulder and walked off, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.
