Bidding Farewell to Fallford

by Arkadius Farcleaver-Hogg

Arkadius’ hand trembled as it lay on the tavern door-handle. It had been a year since the stranger had led him there through the town, time seemingly having been frozen. As his hand slightly turned the door-handle, his heart beating fast and hard, the last words the Visitor said to him as he vanished from sight came back to him.

"You are your father's son, full of stubbornness and pride.
Take heed of what he says, but remember you may hear a voice inside.
And if the voice starts to whisper, to follow the farthest star…
Arkadius, that voice inside is who you are."

The words echoed within him, ever since that moment. The voice inside is who you are had become a mantra to him. He had felt a voice calling to him every day, a silent voice inside his head and his heart calling him away from the town. It started as the quietest of quiet whispers, almost like from another continent, but as time passed it became louder and louder, to the point where some days it was all he could think about. He’d often stand near the edge of the nearby forest, looking out into the darkness and wonder what was there, and think about darting into the wilderness and never looking back. He’d never taken the leap though.

Not till today, anyway. Today was the day he would take the leap of faith, he was an adult and he was leaving the dreary, action-less, boring town of Fallford. The tavern door swung open in front of him, nearly pulling him off his feet as the door was pulled away from him. He let go of the door, and stumbled backwards. The giant towering above him looked down, angrily.

"Arkadius, what are you playing at, boy? You could’ve hurt someone, and I brought you up better to be some kind of idiot. Come on now boy, get away back home," Arkadius’ father’s eyes narrowed, glaring down at him. "What’re you doing stood out here, boy?"

Arkadius swallowed, the gulp an audible sound between them. “I.. have made a decision, and I wanted to tell you about it. I’ve decided some things about myself, how I fit into the way of the world in Fallford, what my role is and all that." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure darting around the corner of the building. The figure moved quickly, passing out of sight and out of mind quicker than a blink of the eye. Arkadius climbed back up, his father helping him to stand with one hand.

His father’s look of anger turned into confusion, and then into glee as he processed Arkadius' statement, he clapped his hands together. "You’ve decided what you want to do, and how you’ll contribute to the town, finally! Ah, my boy, you can’t believe how happy I am that you’ll finally contribute, have a job, make friends and be..."

“No," Arkadius interjected into his father’s speech to stop him, with as much volume and force as he could muster, which for once was quite great. His father didn't expect such force from Arkadius, and stood there staring at him, his face having returned to utter confusion. He didn't recognise the person that his own son had started to become., he'd never spoken to his father in this tone of voice before. “I was coming to speak to you so that I didn’t do what mother did and vanish into the night without you knowing about it. I’m sorry, father, but… I don’t belong here. I don’t have a role in Fallford, and I am not staying. I came to say… goodbye."

He stood up, brushing himself off of the dirt and dust that he could, and looked at his father for a brief second, before turning away and walking towards the forest. His heart was pumping wildly, the noise pushing away anything else going on around him. His perception of the town around him darkened, a sort of tunnel-vision guiding him towards the forest. He could have sworn he felt his father directly behind him, his hand grasping Arkadius’ shoulder to pull him back to stop him going, but Arkadius shrugged him off with ease. He approached the forest, and didn’t stop walking. He didn’t look back once.

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The Incident: Part 1 of 4
25th of Tarsakh, 1483

The Incident: Part 2 of 4
26th of Tarsakh, 1483

The Incident: Part 3 of 4
27th of Tarsakh, 1483

The Incident: Part 4 of 4... for now
28th of Tarsakh, 1483

Bidding Farewell to Fallford
30th of Flamerule, 1484

What's an R between F(r)iends?
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The First Sign of Power
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The Path to Waterdeep
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The End of Life in Waterdeep
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Return to Kundar
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In the Shadow of Kundar
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Golden Hour
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A Simple Job
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Reminiscing
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The Old Temple
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Case of the Still Missing Person
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The Naming of the Weasel
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Revisiting The Incident
30th of Uktar, 1496

Help Us Hope
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The Reappearance of Alocasia Zebrina
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Amorphophallus Titanium
8th of Hammer, 1497

Losing a Friend
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Return of the Prince
30th of Hammer, 1497

Aerial Delving
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What's in a Name?
10th of Alturiak, 1497

Hunting for Trouble
25th of Alturiak, 1497

Doing the Right Thing
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Here and Back Again
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The Sharp End
22nd of Ches, 1497

Triumph of the Vanguard
7th of Tarsahk, 1497

Pre-Birthday Shenanigans
30thnif Tarsakh, 1497

Bidding Farewell to Fallford

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