Kalmar the Bloody

a short story about dungeons and doppelgangers

It didn't take our party long to realize Kalmar the Bloody had been replaced. His doppelganger spoke less and listened more. He was slow to anger and quick to apologize when he gave offence. He even stopped claiming every piece of treasure for the massive iron-bound chest his warhorse carted along behind it.

One night at the campfire, after the impostor had excused himself to his tent, our party shared a moment of silent eye contact over the crackling flames. A round of nods. A wordless pact.

We like the new Kalmar. He's easy to get along with. The only awkward part is ignoring the pounding coming from inside the locked chest.

Short story written by Peter Chiykowski

Story prompt taken from a photo by Joris Voeten