-last edited on Jan 6, 2019 16:07:45 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 6, 2019 16:06:52 GMT
Chapter 18
The so-called war council – hopefully it wouldn’t come to an actual war – consisted of Hithrol, Olifin, seven of the top-ranking Falkrions, and most of the group that had found the Falkrions. Vasilla, the dwarven woman who had led them, had returned to her people and Rimil, the perpetually nervous lizardfolk cook, had not been invited. Hithrol had chosen not to get the rest of the Riders involved, lest things take a turn for the worse.
Once everyone had arrived, Axomius unrolled a large map and pointed at a spot towards the southeastern portion of the area. “This is where we are.” He dragged his finger over to a labelled area just north of the River. “This is where we need to be.” Finally, he pointed to the mountains just south of the river and a spot at the southern edge of the hills. “These are the places we need to avoid. So, how do we do it?”
“First things first,” said Hithrol, “No flying.” The Falkrions began to protest, but Tinunclus silenced them with a look. “Thank you. Flying, you are too visible, and – more importantly – too recognizable.”
“They’re always going to be recognizable,” pointed out Sky, a tracker and a member of Axomius’s team, “There aren’t very many winged people around here.”
Hithrol nodded. “You’re right, but if we avoid flying we have a better chance of controlling who sees them.”
One of the Falkrions – Hithrol thought her name was Hyplaeuse – chimed in. “Travelling over land in such large numbers is going to be at least as conspicuous as flying. There’s no way to hide that many over that distance.”
“Then we don’t go over land,” said Terra, “We go by sea.”
With the initial method of transportation decided, a plan began to take shape. The first ship would take sail from the nearest port at dawn. Another ship would follow every hour until all the Falkrions had been gathered. Each ship would dock at the mouth of the River, allowing the Falkrions to disembark and make their way through the forest to the castle. Once there, they would fly over the walls or find a way to sneak inside. With any luck, no one would notice until it was too late.
-last edited on Jan 7, 2019 14:23:05 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 7, 2019 14:22:52 GMT
Chapter 19
One of the first problems that arose during the course of planning was finding the proper landing spot. It had to be far enough from civilization that they wouldn’t be caught immediately, but not so far that the walk to the castle would leave them unduly exposed. It also had to be a spot where ships could actually land. Eventually, they settled on a place just north of the River’s mouth. It was too close to the City by the Sea for Hithrol’s liking, but it would have to do.
There was also a heated debate over how many would be coming on the journey. Hithrol wanted only as many was necessary to secure the city, but Tinunclus refused to take any less than their full number. Eventually, Hithrol let the Falkrion have his way. There was no point in arguing with him. When they clashed again over the timing of the event, Hithrol had to bite the insides of his cheeks to hide his frustration as he once again explained the situation. “Like I said before, a month would be the most reasonable time frame for this. Three weeks is definitely doable, but two is pushing it. And one is just impossible.”
If Tinunclus was equally exasperated, he did not show it. “We cannot waste any more time. It must happen as soon as possible.”
“Three weeks then.”
The Falkrion looked him in the eye. “As soon as possible.”
“Fine,” said Hithrol. “Two weeks. We will be ready to go in two weeks.”
The rest of the meeting passed quickly, but Hithrol couldn’t help but worry if this plan was even possible. Could they get enough ships in time? Would the captains follow their orders? Most importantly, could they find people they could trust not to reveal their secret or turn them in in hopes of a reward? And, of course: did they have the money to fund this? It helped that Tinunclus had agreed to contribute a hefty sum of his people’s money, but with little idea of just how much it might cost Hithrol couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. Nursing a new headache, he went back to Paladeen to rest. The preparations could wait until tomorrow.
-last edited on Jan 8, 2019 14:33:16 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 8, 2019 14:32:44 GMT
Chapter 20
Clink. Clink. Clink. Crack. Skirj covered his ears against the sound of pickaxes being swung against the stone walls of the cavern. It was his first time in a dwarven mine, and he couldn’t say it was the most enjoyable experience he’d ever had, especially given the nasty looks all the dwarves kept giving him. “Are you sure he’s here?” he asked, practically shouting to be heard over the miners.
Hayteleck nodded. “Positive.”
“I’ll keep looking then.” With a sigh, Skirj continued walking through the mine, scanning the miners for that not-so-distinct black beard. At last, down a narrow tunnel tucked away in a corner, he found him.
“Digls! Hey, Digls, do you remember me?”
The dwarf stopped mining and turned around. “Uh, yeah, you’re the wizard with the funny hat who likes pacing.”
Skirj sighed inwardly. “Yep, that’s me. Listen, do you think we could talk for a minute?”
“Sure.” Digls returned to mining, hitting the rocks more softly now to reduce the volume.
“Do you think we could talk somewhere a little more,” Skirj gestured around the cavern, “Quiet?”
They eventually found themselves in a long, one-room tavern above the mine. There were a number of other miners there talking quite loudly, but it was a far sight better than being inside the mine. Skirj was careful not to sit too close to any of them, lest he provoke their ire. Once they had sat down, the goblin introduced Digls to Errica and Hayteleck, and then got right down to business while Hayteleck ordered them all drinks. “Do you remember the Temple you went to with Septimus Merlinsson and my brother a few years back?”
Digls nodded.
“Would you be willing to take us there? We’re looking for some knowledge that may be there.”
Digls shrugged. “I’d take you there and lead you to the right room on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You let me take stuff from the treasure room.”
Skirj shrugged. “Take whatever you want. We’re just looking for something that might tell us how to help my brother.”
-last edited on Jan 9, 2019 21:42:25 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 9, 2019 21:42:06 GMT
Chapter 21
“There’s no one here,” said Legolie, “Follow me.” Without looking back to make sure the others were with her, she led the way into the burnt-out husk of a village. It had been ravaged by the bandits three nights ago, and currently it was their best bet at finding them.
Legolie found it hard to believe that a group once led by the jovial, quick-witted Shayden could be responsible for the horrific destruction before them. She supposed it was just one more reason to find them and take them out.
Once they were far enough into the village, Legolie turned around and examined her team. “Okay, everybody, fan out and look for clues.” They did as instructed- Jayden and Caisara to the left, Isabel to the right, Leinad forward with her.
All around, the skeletons of houses and shops. In the air, the lingering smell of burnt timber – and burnt flesh. Legolie retched and turned her head skyward to avoid the sight. The bandits had left no items of value, no survivors, and no clues as to where they went next. She hoped the others were having better luck.
Sure enough, they were. As soon as the thought came into Legolie’s head, she heard Jayden’s voice shouting from off to the right. “I found something!” Legolie and Leinad looked at each other and quickly ran towards his voice.
They found their two companions hunched together, peering closely at an upright beam, all which remained of some poor person’s house. “What is it?” asked Legolie, leaning in for a better look.
Jayden moved aside and pointed at a spot on the beam. “This.”
Legolie stepped into the space where he had been and examined the spot. As far as she could tell, it was just a slightly burnt piece of wood, nothing special. “I don’t see anything.”
Jayden nodded. “You probably wouldn’t, but I’ve had enough experience with this kind of damage to recognize it when I see it. Dragon fire did this. Most of the rest was just regular fire, but this and a few other spots were burned by a dragon.”
Legolie stepped back and scanned the immediate area. “Great. So, these bandits have a dragon. That explains why no one survived the attack, I guess.” As it turned out, she had spoken too soon.
One, two, three, four, five, six, turn. One, two, three, four, five, six, turn. Skirj tried to focus on the sound of his footsteps, on the feeling of the long grass against his shins, on anything but the terrible danger his brother was in, but it was useless. Right now, Skrag was somewhere in that castle fighting off hordes of shadowy creatures, and Skirj could do nothing to help him. Distracting himself by pacing was the only way to keep the fear from overwhelming him. One, two, three, four-. “Would you stop that already?”
Skirj spun around to face Digls, “My brother is in there risking his life to save the world. If I don’t keep myself distracted, I’m going to go crazy. So, unless you have any better ideas, I think I’ll continue pacing.”
Digls groaned. “Fine.”
“Fine what?”
“Fine, I’ll talk to you. But you better not say anything stupid.”
Skirj shrugged. “I’ll do my best. What do you want to talk about?”
Digls groaned again, even louder this time. “I don’t know. Anything that will keep you quiet.”
Skirj held up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Why don’t you talk about . . .”? He racked his brain, trying to think of something at least a little bit interesting. “Ah! Why don’t you talk about how you found your Honorblade?”
“Okay,” said Digls, “Lemme see. The wizard took us up north into the desert and told us to dig. Took a long time, but it was fun, because, you know, digging.”
Skirj smiled and nodded, pretending to understand the allure of digging.
“Anyway, we went into the Temple and the wizard led the way. There were all sorts of traps and spells and stuff that would have smashed us a dozen times over if he didn’t know where to go. He led us down deep inside, and into the most beautiful room I’ve ever seen. Gold, everywhere, and gemstones, and-.” A tear came into the dwarf’s eye, and he had to pause for a moment to collect himself. “It was just beautiful. Indescribable, really. But we didn’t find the Honorblade there, so the wizard took us to a room with a bunch of books. It was-.”
“Incredible?” asked Skirj.
“Boring,” Digls replied. “But the Honorblade wasn’t there either, so we went to a secret painting room and found it. The end.”
Sounds like they need your infinite "random topic generator!"
-last edited on Jan 10, 2019 19:13:01 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 10, 2019 19:12:50 GMT
Chapter 22
Legolie was still mulling over the implications of a dragon being with their enemy when she heard a call from the right. She couldn’t make out the words, but it was Isabel’s voice. Motioning for the others to follow, she took off in the direction of the sound.
When they finally reached Isabel – she must have been moving quite quickly, to have covered so much ground already – they found her not alone but accompanied by two young children. The children shrank back at the sight of the weapon-laden crew, but Isabel shushed them and said gently, “These are my friends. They are here to help.”
Pushing past her shock, Legolie cleared her throat, sheathed her sword, and knelt down to be closer to the children. “Hey, I’m Legolie. My friends are Leinad, Jayden, and Caisara. I think you’ve already met Isabel.” She pointed to each in turn. “We’re here to find the people who destroyed this village and punish them. If you talk to us, that will make our job easier. Can you tell us anything that might help?”
The children were silent for a long time, and Legolie had all but given up hope when one of them – the girl, older than the boy, and with a determined glint in her young eyes – stepped forward and began to speak. Her voice was shaky at first, but it gained in steadiness as she spoke. “My name is Anexa. This is my brother, Perin. Ten days ago, some men came to our village and said-,“ a pause, “They said if we didn’t give them everything they would come back in a week and take it. The elders refused.” She paused again, taking a deep breath and wiping at a few tears. “The men came back three days ago and started attacking houses. People tried to fight, but they were smashed. Then Mama and Papa took me and Perin to the basement and told us to wait until they came back. They didn’t come back.” Anexa started crying and then Perin did, too.
-last edited on Jan 11, 2019 19:09:31 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 11, 2019 19:09:16 GMT
Chapter 23
Skirj, Hayteleck, Errica, and Digls walked for five days and four nights before they reached the place where Digls told them to stop and start digging. During the days, Hayteleck sang and played songs on his lute. During the nights, Skirj was haunted by dreams of Skrag needing his help. I will save you, brother, no matter what.
All told, the digging went quite quickly and easily. For one thing, the sand hadn’t yet filled in the space entirely, leaving less digging to be done when Skrag had been there. For another, there were four of them helping, including three that could use magic and one with a genuine enjoyment of the activity. It was done within a day, and that night Skirj slept more soundly than he had in weeks, comforted by the knowledge that he was closer to saving his brother than he had been in months. Thus, it was with a renewed confidence that Skirj followed Digls down into the hole in the ground.
Inside, it was cold, and very dark. Someone made a light – Hayteleck, Skirj saw, looking back. The usually jovial elf looked solemn, almost afraid. Errica looked much the same. Skirj agreed that the atmosphere of the temple was nearly menacing, but for now his hopes of finding his brother made all fear seem inconsequential. In a hushed voice, unsure why he might need to be quiet but driven to be by instinct, Skirj asked Digls, “Are you sure you can remember the way to the right room?”
Digls shrugged. The light made his beard glow strangely. “I remember it well enough. And I can always smell my way down if I need to.”
“Smell your way down?”
“Smell the currents, taste the difference in air flow that shows where to go to get to the bottom.”
-last edited on Jan 12, 2019 16:12:40 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 12, 2019 16:12:32 GMT
Chapter 24
The means of deterring interlopers inside the temple were as numerous as they were varied. Seemingly every room they passed through had some sort of enchantment designed to remove them by any means necessary. There were some basic traps – darts shooting through the air, which Hayteleck managed to block just in time, pits of spikes that opened up suddenly almost beneath their feet – and plenty more devious machinations. In one room, poisonous gas filled the air. Before they could do anything, Digls was on the ground. They had to drag him out while holding their breath to avoid a similar fate. Fortunately, some sort of magical shielding prevented the gas from leaving the room, or Skirj was certain they would not have left alive. Perhaps the cleverest – and, therefore, the most dangerous – trap was a room with an illusion of an enormous flame-eyed dog. When they turned around to attempt a retreat, believing the illusion real, they almost missed the second illusion – a false floor concealing a spiked pit. Skirj managed to stop them just in time, and Errica discovered when, in bear form, she tried to attack the dog, that it was fake.
In addition to the traps, there were a number of other obstacles impeding their progress. Every few rooms, they would encounter magical wardings that would have to be slowly dismantled to allow their progress. Skirj hadn’t seen anything like those spells before and made a mental note to look for information about them in the library. Several rooms were also occupied by expansive puzzles that took extreme care and thought to solve. Errica soon proved the most adept at these, and the others let her take the lead. Skirj was happy to step back, aware that a single mistake might well result in some terrible trap.
Despite everything standing in their way, they reached the treasure room at last, after what Skirj judge to be four or five hours in the temple. They took a long break their, allowing their bodies and minds to recuperate for the next leg of the journey. Digls began to excitedly fill up his pockets with gold and gems. For his own part, Skirj grabbed a slightly curved short sword, in case it might prove useful later.
-last edited on Jan 13, 2019 20:33:48 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 13, 2019 20:33:28 GMT
Chapter 25
For a while, Legolie and the others just stood there, awkwardly, as the children released their sorrow. Then, realizing that no one else was going to do it, Legolie moved close to them and put her hands on their shoulders. “Listen to me. We are going to find the people who did this, and we are going to stop them from hurting anyone else.” She sighed, working up the courage to say what she knew she had to say next. “Look, I know it hurts a lot. It always does. But you’ll get through this. You’re strong. I can see it in you. When I was a little girl, younger than you are now, my mom was smashed. I don’t remember it very well, but I remember how much it hurt, and how difficult it was to grow up without her. Later, when I was older, but still not grown up yet, my dad and my brother and my sister were smashed. That hurt a lot, too, more than I can say. I’ve lost friends as well, too many friends, and it never gets easier. It always, always hurts. But I get through it, and you will, too. We’re going to help you, and you’re going to be okay. I promise.”
The crying stopped, but the children didn’t say anything. They didn’t look at Legolie either, as if they couldn’t bring themselves to meet her gaze. Then Isabel spoke. “I never knew my mother. My father was smashed years ago. Everyone I ever knew, everyone I ever loved, is gone now. I’m still here. I’m still fighting.”
Jayden spoke next. “Caisara and me, we’ve lost loved ones, too.”
And Leinad added, “We all have. It’s hard, but we made it through, and we know you will, too.”
Without warning, the children turned to Legolie – of the five bandit-hunters, the closest to them – and embraced her. For a second, she was surprised and almost pushed them away, but then she returned the hug. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. It’s okay.” She almost believed herself.
-last edited on Jan 14, 2019 20:48:57 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 14, 2019 20:48:05 GMT
Chapter 26
The five of them stayed with the children for a long time, helping them to grieve. They didn’t say much but let Anexa and Perin say what they needed to. When Legolie decided it was finally time, she walked over to Anexa and said gently, “We want to find the people who hurt you and stop them from doing anything like this ever again, but we need your help to do that. Can you tell me where the men came from?”
Anexa thought for a moment, examining her surroundings to locate herself, and then pointed.
“Northeast,” said Leinad.
Jayden tapped his finger in thought. “If there’s a dragon with them, they must have some kind of base, or someone would have noticed them by now. It can’t be too far, or, again, they would have been noticed. And there has to be a significant food source nearby. That places them somewhere in the forest, probably, or just across the river in the mountains.”
Legolie smiled. “That narrows our search considerably. We’re going to catch them, but first we have to find a place where these kids are going to be safe.”
“Caisara and I will look,” said Jayden.
“I'll help,” added Isabel. The three of them and the children walked toward their camp to brainstorm, leaving Legolie and Leinad alone.
The elven queen sat down on a long piece of timber, and, after a few heartbeats, Leinad joined her. “I didn’t know about your family. I’m sorry.”
Legolie smiled sadly. “I don’t like to talk about them. Most of the time, it hurts too much.”
Leinad nodded. “Really, though, after them, and Fingolfin, and Link I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through.”
“No, you can’t.”
Leinad gave her an inquisitive look. “Maybe that’s why you don’t want to be queen.”
Legolie felt a flare of anger. “What do you mean?”
“You feel responsible for the loss of those people. If you can’t protect them, how can you lead an entire kingdom?”
Legolie surged to her feet. She knew that if she opened her mouth she would say something that would hurt him, so she said nothing and stormed off. He was wrong, of course. The reason she was here and not on the throne was because she was a person of action, not one of words who told others to act. Wasn’t it?
-last edited on Jan 15, 2019 19:02:03 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 15, 2019 19:01:57 GMT
Chapter 27
The next three rooms were identical. All guarded by the same set of magical wards – a complex one that took a great deal of precision to solve. All pentagonal in shape, with the door to the next two walls to the right. All unadorned save the statues that stood in each corner, almost human in shape, but twisted, grotesque, the same set in each room. The fourth room was different.
It was protected by the same wards, identical in appearance, and home to the same statues, but as Digls, leading the group, took a step in, they heard the sound of stone grinding against itself. It was faint, but it was there. He took another step, and Hayteleck followed him in. The grinding sounded again, a little louder, but they saw nothing. They continued taking steps until all four of them were inside. Each time, the grinding grew a little louder, and then it stopped. Cautiously, unsure what they were afraid of but confident that there was something to fear, they continued walking toward the exit. When they reached the center of the room, the statues began to move. Errica, the tail of the group, moved to leave the way they had come, but found it blocked by a horde of other statues, presumably those from the other rooms. Digls ran for the exit, but a wall slid into place before him, leaving the four of them trapped. The statues were almost close enough to reach them now, and Hayteleck blasted the nearest with a spell. Nothing happened. It kept coming. Skirj’s eyes flickered around the room, his mind processing everything that was happening. A plan formed. “Errica, turn into something strong and take the two nearest you! Digls, grab your pickaxe and hit the closest one! Hayteleck, you’re with me! Ready your shovel and we’ll go after the last two.” It had been a long time since Skirj had given battle orders and he found that he missed it. It also felt good to hit something. The shovel didn’t do much more than chip at the statue, but he reasoned it would work better than his new sword. Plus, he wasn’t keen on ruining that weapon just yet. Shouting furiously, he rained down blows on his assailant, dodging its clumsy attacks and keeping an eye on the less adept Hayteleck.
-last edited on Jan 16, 2019 21:02:40 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 16, 2019 21:02:05 GMT
Chapter 28
Skirj’s tribe was the last to arrive at the arranged meeting spot on the edge of the desert. The goblins of the northeastern tribe, led by their purple-braided Warlord, Cyrx, looked to have been there for quite some time. So did the lizardfolk and the northwestern goblins. The only person who had not yet arrived was the man who had called them all there. While he waited, Skirj strolled over to Cyrx, signaling for his men to stay put. He tried to put forth a friendly disposition. He did not succeed. “It’s been a long time, Cyrx.”
“Not long enough,” Cyrx growled back. “I liked Korst better. And your father too, for that matter.” Skirj grunted, shook his head, and prepared to walk away, but Cyrx kept talking. “Korst was a man you could respect. He had the tactician’s mind. He knew what lengths to go to, what sacrifices needed to be made in order to win.”
“Yeah, well, that mind failed him in the end.” Skirj didn’t relish speaking ill of the smashed man, but Cyrx was making him angry.
Cyrx ignored him. “Your father had that mind too. You don’t. You let your emotions rule every time. You act without thinking. One day your emotions are going to get you into something you can’t get yourself out of. Maybe if you haven’t alienated everyone around yourself by then, someone will help you out. I doubt it.”
“You forget, my father’s emotions are what got him banished. He had the same problems as I do. I’ve seen you fight. You’re no great warrior; you’re just stronger than everyone else!” Skirj drew his knife, prepared to fight.
Cyrx just laughed. “I’m like you. I wasn’t born to be a Warlord either. But we fill the roles that are needed of us.”
Skirj walked back over to his own tribe boiling with rage. An hour later, the man called Orrolc arrived with four giants and four trolls that he had found who-knows-where. Skirj was fairly certain there were only a handful of trolls in the mountains, and that was considered populous. Orrolc described to them the riches his master would grant them upon their success and opened a portal for them into a castle. That was the day Skirj was smashed for the first time, by the man he would come to call brother.
-last edited on Jan 17, 2019 14:07:43 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 17, 2019 14:05:53 GMT
Chapter 29
Skirj was dragged back to the present by the sound of his shovel finally snapping off the statue’s arm just above the elbow. The thing didn’t seem to slow down, but at least it would have to try harder to hurt them. He risked a glance to either side and saw Errica, as an ice bear, tackling her two opponents. On the other side, Digls had managed to smash his statue’s head with a blow from his pickaxe and it stopped moving. Striking at the head of his own statue, Skirj shouted new orders to the dwarf: “Go help Errica!” He watched only long enough to see Digls begin moving in that direction, and then returned his attention to Hayteleck and their two statues. “Aim for the heads!” They battled on for a few more blows, only managing to chip at the heads of their opponents, until one of them caught the side of Hayteleck’s head, knocking the elf to the ground. He did not rise. Skirj immediately leapt to defend his friend but found himself unable to defend against both statues at once. Just as one of them was about to land a blow, it was tackled to the ground by a huge white shape. The head of the other suddenly exploded in a cloud of dust and shards of rock. Digls took a step back, pushing the defeated statue to the ground, as Errica, once again herself, stood up, her opponent lying on the ground with its head shattered. “Thanks,” said Skirj, breathing heavily.
The rest of the trip to the temple’s library was relatively uneventful, featuring the same types of puzzles and traps as before. Hayteleck woke up about halfway through, and they helped him walk the rest of the way. When at last they arrived, everyone was too exhausted to do anything but lie down and rest. Errica suggested they start the search in the morning, and everyone agreed, soon drifting off to sleep.
Some hours later, Skirj found himself unable to fall asleep, as tired as he was. He was so close he could taste it, and the anticipation buzzed within him. Eventually, he acknowledged that he wasn’t going to get any sleep and began looking over the books and scrolls, careful not to wake the others. He was still poring over them in the morning, and he did not sleep the next night either.
-last edited on Jan 17, 2019 18:14:57 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 17, 2019 18:14:44 GMT
Chapter 30
Queen Virida sat impatiently in her throne. Her visitor was taking a long time. If he did not arrive soon, she suspected she would lose her temper. The thought almost made her laugh. A few years ago, she had been nobody, a little girl with no parents living with her mysterious uncle. Now she was a queen. She thought the role suited her. Sometimes it seemed as if this was what she had been born to do, what she had been doing all her life. That did not mean it was always easy, however. This Falkrion issue had been bothering her for weeks, filling her waking hours, and now her sleeping hours as well. She had had the dream again last night, the one where the shrieking bird men had poured out of their new fortress to tear her kingdom apart. After that, she hadn’t slept. Maybe that’s why she was in such a bad mood.
The door opened then, and in walked Sir Taluk, first and finest of her knights, the man who had helped her bring this kingdom back together. “He’s here.”
Virida nodded. “Bring him in.” Taluk exited and returned shortly with a short, bearded man in slightly rusted chainmail. For a former knight, Belarius was rather unimpressive. He was fatter than Virida had expected, his raven hair in desperate need of trimming. She smiled at him nonetheless as he bowed a little lower than was strictly necessary. “Welcome to my castle. Can I get you anything?”
He shook his head. “No, your majesty. I can’t stay long.” That was well enough. The offer had been nothing but a formality.
“Well, then,” responded Virida, “You had best get on with it.”
“Yes, your majesty. The Falkrions and the Riders, they’re planning on invading the castle of the Falcon kingdom.” Virida felt a chill at that. It was what he had said already in his correspondence, but the very thought still made her sick.
She pushed past it and said, “Tell us their plan, and I will return to you the holdings that my predecessor stripped from you.”
Belarius was quick to reply. “Yes, your majesty. I will tell you everything.” And he did.
-last edited on Jan 18, 2019 19:37:31 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 18, 2019 19:36:52 GMT
Chapter 31
The Crown was destroyed, the Well closed, and everyone seemed to be at peace, except for Skirj. They were all getting ready to go home, to see their loved ones, and Skirj had no idea what to do. He couldn’t go back to the tribe, if it even existed anymore. After the losses they had sustained in the Dragon’s War and now those lost just a few days ago he wouldn’t have been surprised if it had disbanded. Besides, the new power in him was pulling him somewhere greater. He just didn’t know where yet.
As Skirj debated this, he heard footsteps approaching behind him. He turned around to see Septimus Merlinsson walking towards him. A chill ran down his spine. “I know what you did,” said the sorcerer.
Skirj took a step backward. “You mean . . .?”
“The power, yes. Don’t worry. I have seen it and it is small enough to be handled safely by anyone. I am actually here to make you an offer.”
Skirj still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. “What kind of offer?”
“My help, of course. I want to mentor you. To be clear, this is not an apprenticeship or an offer to be your teacher – that ended poorly last time – but I want to help you learn. Come with me to the Towers of Sorcery and I will guide you in your studies.”
For a moment, Skirj didn’t know what to say. Eventually, he settled on, “Why?”
Septimus seemed to be smiling under the mask. “You remind me of myself when I was young. Call it a touch of sentimentality, but I rather liked Graylin and her loss has left me wanting some kind of connection.”
“I . . . I accept.”
“Very well. I will come to collect you when it is time to leave.” Septimus stalked away, leaving Skirj alone to process the events of the last few minutes.
![[derp]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/YqNTPqyQUocVMYXZgUAI.png)
