Fate's Dagger

Magic. it flows through the world like water in an ocean. It fills people with wonder and awe yet, it festers, rots, turns the world to decay. Barker's morning had an early start that day, sleep was kept from him so he went back to the road before even the sun had risen. The midnight air brushed up against his cheeks and chilled his armor. The only sounds to accompany him was the sound of boot on dirt and crickets singing amidst the trees. As he approached Thalas the smell of shit attacked his nose. The gate was poorly guarded. An elf managed to wake up enough to stop him.
"The hell do you want human?" the guard stuttered out.
"Peace, coin and drink." Barker replied.
"Oh, um, very well then, but I'm watching you buddy."
"I'll be on my best behavior then." Barker said, rolling his eyes. He began to make his way through the mud covered square as a nervous elf hummed to himself. He looked to his left at a splintered notice board. The board looked all but forgotten with the words on the pinned papers mostly faded, except one, this caught Barker's eye. A fresh notice reading "People of Thalas beware, avoid the northern church something wicked has taken hold there. -Moyarty." Barker eyed the paper and took it with him. Barker took himself to the tavern and gave his feet a break.
"Fucks sake, an actual customer!" The inn keep cheered. "Welcome to Crested Griffin inn!"
"What do you have?" Barker asked, nodding to the bartender.
"Bread, came in fresh yesterday and if you're thirsty our special Stormy brew."
"I'll take one of each then." Barker grunted as he sat down at the bar. The inn keep went into the back to fetch the food. Barker looked around at this place and he understood the bartender's excitement. No light, tables flipped over and a layer of dust on the floor. No ones been here for quite some time.
"Bread and brew for you sir." the inn keep said opening the back door. As he chewed on the bread Barker pulled the board notice out of his bag, "Know who issued this?" he asked, still chewing.
"Aye I do, Moyarty is the city's priest. Most of them left for the capital after the war but Moyarty stayed, said he had to fix our broken and darkened souls. He lives on Herin street, just south of this place" Barker nodded in thanks as he tried to grind through the stale, hardened bread. "If you're interested in that sort of thing you must not be normal. Come to think of it I never got your name, who are you?" Barker stood up and threw three coins onto the table,
"A Black Dagger." and he left the inn mug in hand.
The sun began to rise above the city walls and the Dagger made his way to Herin street, finishing his ale. Once he got there he saw an altar at the end of the block Priests and altars, usually go together. the Dagger thought to himself. He made his way to the end of the street and the priest stood up to greet him. "Are you the one who issued this?" Barker asked, showing the notice.
The priest nodded, "I did indeed yes, and you must be a Dagger."
"Clever guess."
"No and educated one, that sword on your back, you're ready for a fight, and that black armor, hardened leather?"
"Brigandine." the Dagger replied "What is going on at this church?"
The priest's eyes grew foggy and his body slumped down a bit "It was terrible, I was there changing out the flowers when through the window a horrid beast crashed down on me, it was grey and rotting and it smelled of rancid pork. I am willing to pay you to remove it. I have got 30 for you."
"40"
"Good sir that is to high"
"Fine 35"
"very well I can do that."
So Barker left the priest and headed for the church. Barker began to plan as he waded through the grasslands, Rotting and smelling horrid, draugr maybe, skimmers possibly if the church is near a lake. Although a skimmer's eyesight is shit, it wouldn't see the priest through a window.
When the Dagger got to the church the sun had now fully risen and its rays shimmered on the grass. As he got closer the Dagger heard strange noises. He crouched down and crept his way to the fence surrounding the church. Corpses, 4 of them laying in front of the door, elves armed with shovels and torches. They had tried to handle the church problem themselves. Now they had attracted a pack of Ratmen. The brown hairy beasts stood over the bodies looting them and picking up the shovels. Barker crept closer, he needed to separate the pack. He cupped his hand to his mouth and his voice traveled behind the Ratmen. Three of them split off to check out the sound, this way his chance.
Barker jumped up and threw himself over the fence. He drew his sword and used the downward momentum to stick the blade into one of their necks! The other two swung their newly acquired shovels at the Dagger. He bent himself backwards and ducked in time, the shovels hit each other and fell out of the ratmen's hands. Throwing himself back up the Dagger spun himself around and cut into one of the beasts. He turned once more and thrust his blade into the Ratman's heart. All this fighting alerted the other distracted beasts and they charged for the monster hunter! He threw his sword with might and as it cut through its target it also pinned the best to the ground. Barker grabbed the other two by their heads and smashed their skulls together! Their limp corpses joined the elves on the ground. Barker sheathed his sword and proceeded into the church.

The sun's rays peaked through the holes in the roof and dust swirled into the Daggers nose as he opened the door. There was no sign of the monster, in fact other than the caved in roof and some tipped over pews everything looked fine.
SHREEEEE! A shrill cry from behind one of the pews. The monster looked over the bench and flew through the air and tackled the Dagger to the ground! It clawed at, and bit at the Dagger as he struggled to wriggle free. Barker lifted his leg back and gave the monster a swift kick and it tumbled to the ground. They both got up swiftly and stared each other down. Barker looked to his sword, then , BAM!
The beast hit him in the face and picked up the Dagger's sword. It went into a frenzy slicing and cutting through the air, Barker doing his best not to be slit open. The sword came for him and he jumped behind a pew, he elbowed it, breaking off its leg and took it in his hand. The monster ran around and swung again, The Dagger blocked the blade with the pew leg. The beast wiggled the sword trying to free it but it had sunk into the wood. Barker threw an uppercut into the monster's stomach and grabbed his sword back. It staggered back and charged the Dagger. Barker shot out his sword and ran the monster's skull through. The beast stopped, congealed blood plopped onto the stone floor. It grew limp and as the sword was pulled from its head it fell to the ground. Wiping his sword on his pant leg Barker took a good look at the monster, he knew exactly what it was. **************************************************************************************************************************************
The sun now high into the sky, the Dagger stood in front of the priest at the altar.
"Ah Dagger you are back! You my friend smell of justice and, well death, but that must mean you stopped the beast!"
Barker stepped on the priest's foot and looked him in the eye, with no emotion he said, "You lied priest, you said the monster attacked you through the window and chased you off."
The elf began to sweat, "That is what happened, you saw the monster. You doubt me?"
The Dagger moved closer still. "That monster, it was a Remnant, definitely dead and definitely smells horrible, but it's made with magic."
Stuttering now the priest tried to move back "I have no idea what you are talking about...."
"It didn't attack you through a window, you made it and it attacked you. You performed and exorcism but you exorcised an innocent. The elf transformed into the Remnant and it lashed out." Barker stepped forward once more starring the priest down "Am I wrong?"
'Fine! Yes!" the elven priest shouted out. "I made that thing but it was never my intention. A towns girl, Emile, her parents brought her to the church , said she was hearing voices in her head."
Barker scowled "She was an elf, I imagine magical things like that happen to you."
"Funny, but sometimes true yes, but this was different, her parents said she would stay awake at night screaming, it could only have been dark influences in her head so I agreed to help. I performed the ceremony and she broke free from her binds and started running around the room. Then by god her body started twisting itself around, all the way around. She turned into that thing and ripped her own parents open. I ran as fast as I could. But..but why do you care? I have your coin, can we not just split paths and never see each other again?"
"Double the coin elf." Barker said, stepping back.
"Fine here, take it! You Black Daggers are horrible, let us never see each other again!"
"Agreed." Barker grumbled taking the purse. The Dagger sighed as he stepped through the gate that afternoon, Barker stepped back out into the wilds, on to the next contract.