When Eben decides to rob the isolated town nestled deep in the woods, he could never have predicted that he would be forced to atone by serving Adder, the powerful and terrifying gorgon charged with protecting the town of Nǣdre Tor.
However, as Eben...
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Eben's eyes are closed as he relaxes in the stream. Summer is quickly coming to an end, so the half-elf savors the last days of warmth before the cold comes to steal it all away.
The changing of the seasons reminds him of the fact that he has been in service to Adder for almost three months now. It's surprising how well he's almost perfectly adapted to the domesticity of his role. It's a drastic change from what he's used to, his old life of thievery and constant danger.
It's almost...pleasant, being here with Adder. But this peace is a farce, Eben knows. No matter how kindly Fern smiles, how much Sheppard promises, or how benevolent Adder appears, Eben is not a guest here. He is a prisoner, and he knows that he must break his shackles in one way or another.
So his options are such; submit to Father Sheppard's whims, or manipulate the gorgon to his side.
The first option is the most tempting. After his meeting with Sheppard last month, the priest's promises have been stuck on loop in his head. Ever since he'd lost his home, all Eben had dreamed of was a place and a people to belong to. Whatever anger he holds against Nǣdre Tor for detaining him, he can't deny the appeal of living in a community that accepts inhuman beings like him.
But this option comes at a price...he would have to serve Adder for an indefinite amount of time before being rewarded, and that reward was pending on if Sheppard actually kept his promise. Eben trusts that slimy creep as far as he can throw him.
Besides the priest's untrustworthiness though, there was also the issue of Adder. So far Eben's stay with the gorgon has been pleasant, but who knew how long that would remain true? If Daisy and Fern were to be believed, Adder had killed the last person he got close to.
As well, Adder seems truly loyal to the cult; the last month alone has seen two attacks on the village. First, a pack of cockatrices that had made their way into the fields, and then a scrappy harpy that had swooped down from the nearby mountains. Adder had been quick to respond, his petrifying gaze decimating the harpy, and his strength and agility allowing him to take down the cockatrices with ease. Eben remembers how the gorgon had come back covered in wounds each time, yet didn't seem perturbed at all. To Adder, it appeared, it was just another day...pain was part of life for him.
Eben wonders, what would convince the monster that this way of life was flawed?
He sighs, rising from the river. He shakes the dampness from his hair as he goes to sit on the riverbank, soaking up the waning rays of sunlight. Eben leans back, savoring the peaceful moment as he takes in the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and the distant chatter of birds.
However, the distant sound of Adder's bells breaks the peace. Eben dresses, shaking the dampness from his hair as he walks. As he approaches the sound, he spots the gorgon sunbathing on the edge of the riverbank.
