The Truth we Left Behind - Solo

[Gnarl & Root]

It was strange how such a simple game could evoke such emotion from a group of people around a table. Gnarl switched between great highs and lows as he won and then lost terribly. Money had never meant that much to him, but beating a man he held such a distaste for drove him on to succeed.

He cheered when he won, he frowned when he lost, and more often than anything, those frowns weighed him down. This was supposed to be a moral victory for himself, but Hasen was so good, so clever to understand when to fold and when to continue. As Gnarl watched his pile dwindle, he eventually got up for a loo break.

"I'll be right back." He groaned. His displeasure clear as he huffed to leave the room.

"Do not worry Gnarloc, even the best need to learn to lose against me." Hasen laughed as he leant his chair back on the rear legs. "Left down the corridor, third on your right."

"Thanks." Gnarl smiled dejectedly, the thought of pushing Hasen backwards so he bashed his head on the wall behind became an urge to which he didn't want to resist.

The house was huge compared to anything Gnarl had experienced before, so after relieving himself and looking back down the corridor where he came, it felt like another place entirely. So many doors, so much space filled with nothing but a few fancy paintings and pretty desks that held the odd candle. Gnarl paused by the next door as a few drunken words echoed out from behind it, the guards of the estate were having their own drunken fun in the other room. It was time to move on, but it was the name, Letti, that forced Gnarl to pause in his tracks.

"Yeah, I'd lift her legs up high and make her beg for it!" The voices laughed and chuckled as Gnarl clenched his fist. "Shame were here on duty tonight, she's alone we could be banging her silly!"

Gnarl took another deep breath, the alcohol he had already consumed seemed to raise his temperament considerably. He told himself twice, three times, to walk away and ignore the drunken idiots that would say anything when they thought they were alone. There was no need to cause a stir right now, not while Ghello was alone in the other room.

Forcing himself to walk away Gnarl returned to the room, sat down and awaited the dealing for the next round.

The cards came round after another Hasen win, and as each card landed before Gnarl, their eyes met as if Hasen was building up to say something. Gnarl kept quiet, he hated being toyed with, but not only was he outnumbered here, he was at Ghello's trust to be on his best behaviour - it would be a shame to ruin that trust now.

"So, Gnarloc. It's funny because I researched you on our records before tonight." Hasen kept the corner of his eye on Gnarl's reaction as he played. "Raise."

"Yeah? What's your point blondie?" Gnarl matched Hasen's play. "Match."

"I mean, I tried to anyway." Hasen gave a sarcastic smirk. "However, I couldn't find you anywhere. Like, you're working on our land without being on our ledgers. Raise." Hasen acted calm, but his tone of his voice raised a curiosity to where he was going with this statement.

Ghello folded out of the game and kept quiet. He hadn't needed to mention Gnarl before, and since Gnarl resided with them and didn't get any extra pay he hadn't considered this a problem.

"No, I guess you wouldn't find me on there." Gnarl stared back intently. "Match."

"You realise I need to know the name or everyone working on my father's land? This isn't a charity." Hasen's usually calm eyes became piercing as he stared back. "Call."

"Hasen." Ghello interrupted. "Where are you going with this? Gnarloc has done nothing wrong."

"Silence!" Hasen stood up and held his hand up to Ghello. The guards around the room looked a little twitchy, but none raised to their feet. "You see, I don't like foreign miscreants coming onto my land without coming through my family first. Now don't get me wrong, you've caused no trouble and worked hard... At least, I am told. Yet, this is against my regulations and I'll be fining you. Two hundred gold to make up for your lack of introduction."

"Hasen, please... What is this all about?" Ghello shot up to his feet, angry and confused as to what seemed like a sudden outburst. "I can't afford this, not on the wages you provide."

"Control yourself, Ghello. I'll dock two-thirds your pay until it's paid off." Hasen's brow furrowed with frustration to them both. "However, I could halve the fine if your daughter comes work for me. I can always do with more servants, especially pretty ones."

"You forget yourself, Hasen!" Ghello's demeanour suddenly changed, and the quiet man suddenly became bold and strong. "You're father would be ashamed. My family has worked here for years, generations, and we have never been asked to provide our daughters as payment for a child's argument."

"Child's argument?" Hasen spat down at the table with disgust. "You would insult your employer? Your land owner, and superior?"

"I will speak to ya father." Ghello's presence was impressive, and he knew what he could and couldn't get away with. In his anger, his accent even started to show through. "See what he thinks of ya antics here tonight! Come on Gnarloc, we are no longer welcome."

The room fell silent, but the guards parted and both Ghello and Gnarloc left the house promptly. There was nothing else to be said.

[Gnarl & Root]

Gnarloc cut into the earth with another hard working swing, digging into the surface with his Grub Hoe. The expansion to Ghello's section of the barony was almost complete, as the churned surface would soon be ready for implantation with new trees for fresh fruits. Gnarloc worked alone all day, but it didn't mean he worked any less hard as he stood sweat ridden under the early evening sun.

Ghello had been off to have an audience with the head of the Bradbury family, and Gnarloc had kept an eye open for his return all day. However, he was yet to see his return across the green fields of their orchards. When Ghello left in the morning, he had done so without a word.

A cloud of guilt hung over Gnarloc as he patiently waited for Ghello. Gnarl couldn't help but feel his own comments and general attitude towards Hasen were to blame for this situation. He wanted to argue his side of the argument and remind them that it was over nothing and that Hasen was being a big, crying baby.

Gnarl gritted his teeth in frustration and slammed the Grub Hoe into the ground as hard as he could. The thoughts and feelings overwhelming his calm self and acting out in angry swings - this wasn't the first.

It was only then, as he dropped to the ground in a tired slump, and his ass grooved into the soft churned soil, that he could finally spot Ghello in the far distance.

Words of apologetic nature flooded his mind. What was the best way of saying sorry? How did the best phrase go earlier? Surely he'll see the work I've done today and will appreciate the effort I've put in?

It was always easy to forget just how far away Ghello was in the distance, travelling these fields took time and effort, and there was only so many hours in the day.

"Ghello," Gnarl called out nervously. "You okay?"

"It's been a long day Gnarloc. I am not sure what else I can do." Ghello replied wearily. "I have been unable to speak to anyone all day. Blocked at the town centre, and advised that his father is ill and unable to see anyone today."

"What? They are fobbing you off with excuses?" Gnarl leapt up to his feet to greet him properly.

"Nay, I spoke to one of his own personal men. He is most certainly ill. Which means until I can speak to him, we are paying that fine." Ghello's posture displayed a beaten man, currently one without any further options.

"I'm sorry Ghello." Gnarl apologised. He hated seeing them in such sadness and uncertainty.

"I am only a farmer Gnarloc. I am no noble or law officer. My only hope of resolving such a situation is that my family is known to his own."

The long walk back home was difficult. They had to accept everything, for now at least, work tirelessly and hope that the head of the Bradbury's would soon recover and talk sense into his son. Gnarl felt a wave of relief as Ghello forgave him during the walk back. Maybe the beauty of their hometown calmed him, or maybe he truly felt that Hasen was absurd and that Gnarloc had done nothing wrong.

However, as they plodded along the main road, a group of armed men stood before them. Four tunics stood arrogantly in their path, deliberately blocking their way with their purple clothing distinctly that of Hasen's personal troop. The boldest of the men stood forward, his hand out as if the halt them in their tracks.

"Evening. We've been looking for you, Ghello." He tilted his head and stared threateningly.

Gnarloc instantly stood in front of Ghello and stared back, his grip still tightly held onto his Grub Hoe. He said nothing as the group rested their hands on the hilts of their weapons.

"Gnarloc, please! We can solve this without gettin' into a mess." Ghello ushered Gnarloc to one side, open-minded to what the men were here for.

"I don't know if we can. You see, despite being given a ruling by your Baron, you've tried to go over his head. That's a clear sign of disrespect." The man adjusted his gloves and tightened them as if the prepare for a fight. "So let's make this easy on you. I'll break your left arm," he gestured to Ghello's left forearm. "And his right arm," then gestured to Gnarloc. "And that way, you learn your lesson, but can still function on the fields."

Gnarloc didn't wait as the other three men stepped forward to surround them. He'd never seen this act on the Barony before, but he wasn't going to let a bunch of thugs treat them this way. No one will harm his family.

He swung his Grub Hoe and clobbered the arrogant leader across the head. Farmers tool or not, it packed and punch and was still frighteningly sharp on the end. The man dropped like a sack of spuds as the others drew their weapons, maces and clubs for the most part, but just as deadly.


Gnarl, a seasoned warrior in his past, moved into action like he had never stopped, using his farming tool like a glaive as the thugs attempted to abuse their power. He would not let them harm his family, not again, not like this, not while he was still standing. He won't lose another family.

[Gnarl & Root]

The deeply toned scream was that of a tormented soul. Root dashed through the orchard, his light feline frame allowing him to slip through the thick bushes like no human could. This place was large enough to hide many things, but such a painful outcry would echo across the farming community.

After finally clearing the distance of the apple orchard and berry bushes, Root found Gnarl knelt down on all fours as he stared into the dirt. Memories of the past flicking before his eyes, so vivid and powerful that the reality before him no longer existed. Gnarl's mind was trapped in another memory caused by the deja vu sensation as he worked on the farm.

"Gnarl, it's not real. Focus. Gnarloc. Focus on me." Root tried to peer into his eyes, but they looked right through him as they panicked and cried before him. Root wished such a memory would not affect Gnarl anymore, but while the nightmares still halted his sleep, the day dreams still haunted his life. "Gnarloc, listen to my voice, look at the earth around you, the brown of the soil, the green of the leaves, the red of the fallen apples."

Gnarl's lips trembled as tears of sorrow fell from his face and no words could escape from his mouth. His home, a farming community once like this, destroyed, crushed and murdered under the foot of a higher power. Every time he felt like he had moved forward, another memory surfaced as he tried to continue with life.

"Gnarloc... You're in Bradbury. You're not there again." Root continued to usher him back to normality as he pushed up into his face. Rubbing his whiskers and then his tail along his cheeks and jaw in an attempt to halt the flashback.

"Root?" Gnarl suddenly sat back as he checked his surroundings with his sore blue eyes. Peering back down to his hands, he stared as if still able to picture his dead wife in his caring arms.

"I hate to ask the obvious question... But, are you okay?" Root felt great sorrow for his friend, and every time this happened he could feel the hurt inside himself as if to share his pain to keep him alive.

"I could see her Root. I could see what that witch did to her... What I could not stop." Gnarl referred to the past that only they knew. A woman that they had been tracking for years, but had fallen short of every time. "I wish I knew it was her when I first met her Root."

"That's not your fault Gnarloc." Root shook his head. "If I had known myself, we'd have killed her and been done with everything by now. I don't blame us for not knowing. I blame everything entirely on her soul. She will suffer in time."

Gnarloc slumped backwards as he wiped his face with his forearm, then stared up into the blue shade of the clear sky above. "We'll never find her Root. She could be anywhere."

"Not if we stay here." Root looked out from the Orchard, their point of view able of the see a clear landscape of the vast barony, the lake and the town that sat in the middle. "It's a beautiful place, but it is nothing but an illusion from our own pain. It deters us from our path."

"I don't want to leave. I like this place, I like the people, I like Letti and Ghel..."

"So you'll stay forever?" Root interrupted.

"Yes. I'm not making you stay." Gnarl stood up and took a deep breath as Root peered back, surprised by his answer.

"You're the only friend I've got Gnarl." Root's face frowned. "I can't leave without you."

"Okay. Well, I'm sorry." Gnarl apologised as he began to calm, he always appreciated in Root's friendship and loyalty. It's what made them such good friends in the first place.

"But so you understand what you're saying. And I'll do whatever you decide." Root wanted it to be clear, but he meant every word. He would stay with Gnarl until the end regardless of the outcome. "You're giving up on getting revenge for our lives? Our families and murdered friends? You're leaving that magic rock of yours, the one you said was a gift from the gods, you'll leave it shut up in that box in the corner of your room forever? Forever?"

"Yes. I'd rather die in happiness here than chase the past that gives me only pain." Gnarl watched for Root's reaction to his answer. It wasn't the one he truly desired, but what else would they do? They knew nothing of this woman or where she could be. Only her name was known, but even that was unclear. Gnarl knew her as Telana, while Root had known her as the Destroyer of Worlds.

"Alright then. I guess I'll eat mice and purr at my new owners." Root replied a little sarcastically as he turned away to leave.

"I'm sorry, Root. Look at me, look at how I am. I cannot leave here until I feel strong again. Until I can hold a tool or a weapon and not feel like a useless fool who makes no difference in this world. I am weak, I am nothing. Maybe we can be happy."

"Maybe Gnarloc. Maybe. I'm just not sure where a man with a talking Cat and talking rock fit within this world. You said the God's would lead us to find this woman and then avenge everything. To stop her from destroyed more lives. It got us this far, I had hoped it would take us further."