Karvoth
It had been a long journey through the forest. The storm and rain made the trip miserable as each thunder roar had nearly spooked his horse into sprinting for cover. The torch, he had been using for the most of the journey, he had ditched as the rain kept putting it out, and his patience had ran out as well. Karvoth mused on the situation. He had been in the east fighting in the wars for coin, and earning more then a few when a boy ran to him with a missive. One bearing the mark of the dragon, of the Foresworn. It contained only the location of where he was to go, and he had to admit, he respected the amount of cloak and dagger the Foresworn used.
The forest contained many things, and awhile back, he could have sworn to see light coming from within a cave, but decided that whatever, or whoever, was in there was not a concern of his. His thoughts were returned to the present when he saw it. The large tower stretching out above the trees and into the sky.
The decrepit stone tower stuck out like a sore thumb within the canopies of the evergreen forest, but that was probably its purpose. The rain crushing through the leaves and pines of the trees made it difficult to hear the sound of the forest, but despite this Karvoth was still able to make out the slight rustling of a bush, but did not stop to gaze at it because he had more pressing matters. The storm gave the tower a rather grim appearance as it bathed it in darkness as the thunder roared above, but then, it was always some ominous or grim place.
With a deep breath, Karvoth approached the great door to the tower. Unlike the tower itself, the door was well maintained; fashions from solid oak with great metal studs reinforcing it. At the center sat a great steel dragon head, its mouth open and fangs bare. Above its head, strange emblems were carved; ເອົາແຂ້ວເລ່ືອແລະການພົວພັນຊຶ່ງປ້ອນຂອງທ່ານ. Karvoth let his hand run over the etched lettings mumbling something under his breath about old men and their secrets. Taking a moment to pray to whatever gods cared enough to listen, he slowly stuck his hand inside the dragons mouth and grasped the back fang. He paused for a moment, before pulling on it and yanking it out.
A great snapping sound echoed in the forest as the doors locking mechanism was released, and the door slowly slid forward with a long creak. The smell of decay and stagnation was almost enough to have him choking. Almost, but when you have smelt death on a massive scale as he had, few things could truly compare. A faint light came from as flickering torches were hanging from the wall, and above a great stair that descended down into the abyss below. Pausing to look back at the raining forest; he entered the dark portal.
Karvoth did find the tower to be pleasantly warm, and he did manage to take the time to examine the back of the door and saw that he could shut the door and place the fang back to re-lock it, but chose to leave it open. He pocked the metal fang after hearing another rustle in the bushes. Karvoth reached up and threw off his hood, letting his long brown hair fall out. It gave him a sense of comfort from the familiar action, and as he descended the stairs, he rubbed his hands trying to will them to warm up beneath the leather gloves.
It was a long walk as the stairs were incredibly long, but he did not hesitate as he pushed open the wooden door at the base to the bright room beyond. Karvoth had to put his hand over his eyes as the sheer amount of light blinded him for a second before receding away to reveal a robed man sitting at a table. The candles in the room flickered and danced, and from the amount of melted wax at their base, Karvoth assumed the man had been here for quite some time. His eyes slid over the rest of the room from the rows upon rows of dusty tomes to the cobwebs that hung from the unlit chandelier that dangled dangerously loose over the table.
The robed man began to cough violently, but through the coughs; he waved Karvoth forward and managed to crook out, "Come sit. I don't have all day."
"I doubt you have any time at all left in you." Karvoth said dryly, but did as the man bid him to and approached the table ignoring the way the man tried to cough and laugh at the same time. Despite the seemingly sick nature of the man, Karvoth kept his hand on the hilt of his bleed. There was one rule to staying alive in his line of the work: Believe everyone wants you dead.
Seeing the man not take any threatening movements, Karvoth lowered himself into his seat and finally got a good look at the man. Beneath his hood showed an ancient man with a wisp of hair dangling from his head, if Karvoth had to describe his features, it would be if a crow suddenly took on the appearance of a dried plum. The golden dragon claw hanging from the old mans neck told Karvoth all he needed to know.
"Keeper." Karvoth acknowledged. He was surprised that the Keeper himself was here as he was the 'loremaster' of the Foresworn. The record keeper and 'all knowing' man. Till this moment, Karvoth believed him to be more of a myth then a man.
"If you are quite done worshiping the ground I walk on. Lets get down to business." The old man said gruffly, Karvoth was about to point out that there was no worshiping going on as why bow to someone that looked like an old rug? But he was cut off, "I assume you know why you are here?"
Karvoth leaned back in his chair, "Of course." Dragons. Another one had been born, and they were gathering members of the Foresworn to hunt it down.
The old man's hand shook as another series of coughs threatened to overwhelm him, but Karvoth did not rise or offer to help; instead he simply watched and waited.
"Yes. More of them has been born." The old man said confirming the fact in his mind, the knowledge left Karvoth a little bewildered. Them? In his six years, only once did two dragons be born in a short period of time.
"Seven." The old man said in a whisper.
"Seven.." Karvoth said, before shaking his head, "But. That's not possible." There were simply not enough dragons left for so many to be born at once, and he did not like it at all. Such a thing was a bad omen. He was not a superstitious man, but this sent the hairs on his neck standing.
"I have never seen it before either." The keeper confirmed, "But It assures us that, indeed, seven have been born." It. The Foresworns reliable source of information on the birthing of dragons was in fact a dragon itself. An ancient dragon, but Karvoth did not trust dragons nor their riders, "You are sure?" He asked once more.
"Of course I am!" The keeper barked, "Do you think I would be sitting with a half-wit like you if I wasn't sure?"
"Point taken." Karvoth conceded leaning back in his chair and letting his mind race. So many dargons. So much gold waiting, but also so many Riders he would have to deal with. He had fought many, and they always had strange powers, but despite that. He had yet to fail.
"I don't suppose you have any idea as to where they might be?" Karvoth asked, but the keeper shook his head, "If I knew that, then I wouldn't need you would I?"
Karvoth shook his head, the ancient dragon could tell them when a dragon was born and even give them a general area, but never precise locations, but then, if it did there would be little need for people such as him. Perhaps it was a silver lining.
"It did tell us that many were born along this mountain and forest range." The Keeper said pointing to the map on the table, and Karvoth did not fail to notice they were inside the forest, "I see." He said softly. That was why he was called here. He had little doubt that all the foresworn were being called it. Given that so many dragons had awoken; they would need as many as possible to cover the ground, but it would be a long process. The world was large, and trying to find seven people inside such a large world was near impossible.
The floor creaked above, and the Keepers eyes shot up, "What was that? Did you lock the door?" He asked with narrowed eyes.
"Must have slipped my mind." Karvoth said dismissively, but did lower his hand to the hilt of his sword.