William heard Corvinus speak, he turned back to see the noble raising to his feet with reassurance. "Good lord youre alive! I took you as dead!" William spoke as he turned back to face the cathedral. He heard Corvinus speak to provide cover as he took the rest of the nobles out of the fight. William was filled with renewed vigor knowing he hadn't failed yet, he was more excited than ever to fight. William raised his sword, and stated to the few men that fought with him and Alta, "COME ON BOYS, COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, SEND THESE TINS BACK TO THE SMELTER!" William shouted with renewed energy.
William charged forward and was met with a knight welding a sword and shield. As the knight attacked with an overhead swing William caught him with his shield and flipped the poor man head over heels and sliced him while in the air. And with the momentum he met swords with another knight. William spoke to the cathedral knight as the two stood clashing, "When god casts me to hell I'm taking you with." The knight was thrown off guard which gave William plenty of ease to bring a mean left hook with a shield down on the man's face.
William was as happy as could be, he was ready to fight tooth and nail untill Alta needed him to bring the rear for the group. For two people William had not even known a whole day he quickly built a respect and trust for their party. Even silver tongue Alta.
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on May 4, 2021 8:20:47 GMT
Alta watched as Corvinus took his leave with the noblemen and royals. as they disappeared from view, a sigh of relief escaped him between the pants of exhaustion. The roughest part of his mission had been completed, for better or worse. The princess and the king, at the very least, were alive, and that was all that mattered. He could trust Corvinus to escort them safely back to the safety of the castle of the low tier, even in the midst of the madness that surrounded them. The peace of mind Alta had received from this calmed him somewhat, but it did nothing to change the fight. As Alta locked swords, gritting his teeth against the pain of the shoddily wrapped wound on his forearm, thoughts flooded him. They were the same thoughts that rushed to his side every time he felt his death may be nearing; thoughts of his homeland, and the brothers both in blood and arms he had lost over the years. The faces that flashed through his mind were so numerous and fast that they almost melded with each other. A smile creeped onto his lips as he fought, however, he was ripped back to reality when he moved to block an attack and the wood of his shield shattered. A gasp escaped him as he stepped into his opponent's next blow, slashing the man's tricep through his poorly made leather armor and making one last cleave in the small between his shoulder and neck. The scene was.... well, no different from the corpses that lay around them. The raider quickly back-stepped and knocked the few loose pieces of wood that still held, adjusting the grip on what was only the boss of his old shield; a handy makeshift iron buckler. Before he could fully adjust and utilize it however, men of the garrison rushed in from behind them, rushing past William and Alta to fall upon the last few Cathedral knights they faced and into the stands. "Now is our chance," he called to his companion, "Move like wind, brother!" With his words, he rushed away, following the same path Corvinus had taken.
Screams... screams all around him. Putrid smells of a city slaughtering itself filled his nose, but small columns of soldiers moved up and down the roads in groups of ten to thirty, the in-unison clattering of their armor seeming almost hypnotic as they moved like sharks on the followers of the Cathedral. The rabble that feared for their lives moved with less panic than he would have expected, but of course, the presence of their own troops protecting them gave them someone of a better mindset than what had perhaps occurred when it all had begun. The raider was no stranger to death, nor was he a stranger to seiges; burning villages were an old trope in his land, yet the emotions still yanked at the man's heart. Men and women both old and young, even the youngest were given no quarter. He glanced at William, "This is the true horror of the church. This is what these curs really are," he spat at the ground harshly, "By the gods, before my days end, I will have Sirel's head on a pike for all to see. He will die like the filth he is, along with his fellow holy men, by my hand I swear it." A deep hatred settled over the man's face, the darkness in his eyes blacker than the deepest pits of purgatory as he locked his eyes to the path ahead of them. What if they had tried to kill Sirel before the tournament. Could all of this been avoided? How many lives could they have saved? To think, not a few hours ago, these streets had been filled with laughter, song and dance; children playing as people celebrated, now replaced with... this. He felt sick to his stomach. Perhaps he should have ordered a stronger liquor, had he known this would have been the scene he would have been met with.
As he feet met the cobble of the royal avenue, his eyes met with the end of a skirmish; Telarin soldiers finishing off what resistance they had on their arrival. Among them stood Corvinus, and further behind him were the nobles and royals, all alive and well. As he approached, his jog turned into a walk, which turned into a shuffle, and by the time he got to the third member of his party, he could hardly resist falling to his knees, and did so with a slam, his knees screaming from the pain of the impact, but he did not care. His breath came and left in gasps. He looked down at his hands, which held his sword and now broken shield with white knuckles. He let his hands relax, and the iron tools of war fell to his sides. He was so drenched in blood, he could not tell what blood was his from what left his fallen enemies. As the adrenaline began to subside, the pain of his forearm grew ever greater. His makeshift wrapping had long soaked through, and he had only just noticed the multitude of small lacerations that littered his arms and legs, totally unknown to him because of the adrenaline, but now his entire body ached and agonized. He raked a palm over his face, and wiped the thick matte of blood that covered it, looking to the hazy night sky. His eyes floated from star to star as he gazed, though the moon commanded his presence with its prominence. He looked into the distance, further into the city. Even the higher levels burned, and the tall shadows of men fighting danced across the buildings that stood over the wall, and further still, The Ichor Palace stood, seeming completely untouched in light of the events. When his eye came back to earth and fell upon Corvinus, the hatred had long left his face, now blank from all emotion, yet the glaze of his eyes showed his true feelings, "Though our quest is complete and the battle all but won.... we are no victors. The gods turned their eyes from Telarin on this day, and their absence was replaced by tragedy. Even the children lay mangled in the streets," he could only shake his head slowly as he looked down at a slain knight in front of him, his hazed eyes screaming the torment of the death he endured.
After dispatching the last of the knights trailing them, Corvinus stopped for a breather, resting against his staff as his chest rose and fell with every deep breath. Around him the soldiers were making arrests on those who has been knocked unconscious or captured while others dragged their wounded comrades to the side, some missing limbs entirely. The sounds of battle still echoed through the streets as smoke rose into the sky from dozens of burning fire, blood seeping through the cracks in the road to run down the gutters. However this was still a victory in a sense. The royal family was safely back within the confines of the Ichor Palace, ready to take a stand against the Church.
He was soon joined by the other two, who had a managed to fight their way through the streets to reach them. Battle was a bloody business, as the soldiers and combanats from the arena looked battered and bruised. Lord Tyrwell spied his sons through the crowd and moved beyond the soldiers to join them, embracing them as they limped their way forward. Alta looked like hell, and when he fell to his knees next to a fallen knight, he looked like a broken man, tired of the fight. Looking dejected, his words were grim and full of despair. Corvinus watched as he looked down at the slain knight, before kneeling down himself and resting his hand over the man's eyelids, closing closing for the final time. "The gods turned their eyes from us all long ago. Now they only listen to the half hearted pleas of priests and healers." He said softly, before undoing Alta's bandage to see the wound he suffered "With or without the gods' attention, humanity is more than capable of tearing itself apart."
With a short prayer, Corvinus summoned up his magic to heal the wound, an intense heat emanating from his hand as the skin binded itself together. Checking over him for anymore major wounds, he then approached William, reaching out his hand in thanks for helping to save him back at the arena. "Things would have been alot worse were it not for our intervention. The gods may not smile on us anymore, but it was fate that we three met. Destiny if you would." He continued, healing the worse of William's injuries as he continued to speak. It would be a long night, and he needed to conserve as much magic as possible to help those in need, "Seems destiny isn't done with Telarin yet. Or us for that matter."
Moving back to Alta, he reached his hand down to help him up, pulling the soldier to his feet before resting his hand on his shoulder "We did well. There would be more innocent blood on the streets had we not been there, sometimes are dice are cast and you must keep playing the game." He reassured him, before looking back towards the nobles. Most of them had joined the royal family in returning to the castle, protected by the king's guard, while the others waited to assist the knights and await for the arrival of loved ones. "I can't imagine the King won't want a word, I'm sure men will be sent out for us in good time."
"Stay close and bring whoever is wounded to me. I'll do what I can." Corvinus said, before moving over to where the wounded knights were carried. One by one he went down the line, rushing to those clinging onto life by a thread to stabilise them before helping those a little better off. The magic was draining, his cheeks flush with colour and sweat dripping from his brow as he repreated chant after chant, prayer after prayer. He had lost his possessions in the madness, and so only had what bandages and poultices he stored on his person, using it on the less pressing wounds. For those knights of the Cathedral still living, even Corvinus offered them aid, making sure sure would live long enough to see trial. He was sure he could feel the judgemental eyes of the king's men on his back, but as long as he also tended their own wounded, and those brought to him by his friends, they remained silent.
William and Alta fought tooth and nail to guard Corvinus and the royal's rear. Alta fought with the ferocity of ten men as he waged his own personal war against the church, William was not much further behind in his own rage. The fight however was not as easy as it was for Alta.
His sword, while hefty and we'll built, was a bit long and his metal shield, strong as it was, drained him of energy with each block. And yet if he stopped now it would mean the death of them all. Luckily however it did not matter much because re- enforcement approached the pair, with a command Alta ordered William to follow him and the rest of the group. The fighting was harsh, cruel, and inhumane but the true nightmare was when they ran through the streets of Telarin.
As they ran William looked around, the fires and brimstone of hell would be preferable to these scenes. Corpses strung out in the street like rubbish, buildings burning as easy as campfires, and screams louder than banshees. This was no fight, this was no siege, this was a slaughter. Alta gave a speech but it fell upon deaf ears William was aww struck in horror. When they finally caught up with Corvinus, Alta fell to his knees exhausted. William, somehow, still standing, dropped his weapon and his shield and removed his helmet to breathe. "Aye Alta, there are no demons weeping, demons are much more kind than this."
Corvinus approached the two, reassuring Alta and healing his various wounds, some quite deep. and Then he came to Willam talking about the destiny of their meeting, "Nay not destiny, just good fortune." William said he gave Corvinus a pat on the shoulder as they shook hands. Corvinus started to heal the various wounds upon his body. "Worry not of my wounds I can just lick WOAH!" Willam looked down and saw what had happened, these weren't just scratches from a scuffle, these were deep cuts, gashes, wounds and slashes. His armor was largely ravaged and most surprisingly a stab wound to his side that Corvinus was healing, he watched as Corvinus sealed it up as if it never happened. "Alright, good note, don't piss you off." William said as Corvinus finished.
When Corvinus finished he began to do what healers do. Which left Willam and Alta alone for a moment. "Alta, I want to thank ya for having my back there, when I was in there I didn't think I was leaving in one piece. I'm sorry for yer shield, if we ever get out of this place I know smith in Ramshorn then can fix you one right up." Willam plopped himself down to breathe, something he forgot to do earlier. The air was harsh and coarse but air nonetheless. "And Alta this probably a bad time but I believe yer bow it's still at the arena, and whoever the hell yer employer was that got us into this better pay damn well."
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on May 20, 2021 13:46:47 GMT
Alta frowned as Corivnus helped the raider to his feet and had his attempt at keeping a man up when he's down.He gave a half-hearted smile to the man, and gave a good pat to his arm with a nod, "Indeed. Hopefully the man with have as good of intentions with us as did we with he and his daughter."
He watched the mage step off toward the wounded, opening and closing the hand of his once-injured arm before picking his sword off the ground, wiping the blood off on his tattered tunic, and sliding it back in the sheath; the boss of his old shield, he attached to his belt with a simple loop of twine. He took in a deep breath to calm his nerves- in through the nose, out through the mouth- before looking to William. His words came to the raider slowly but surely. Until, of course, his bow was mentioned. "AH, blast it all! I KNEW I was forgetting something! Through Mercy's hellfire, I'll only be left with my sword by the time we leave Telarin!" He exclaimed, ripping at the bloodied rags of his tunic- it barely even worked to cover the leather armor he wore underneath.
The raider shook his head in frustration before wiping the grime on his hand away as best he could. "I may have stayed behind to help, but you gave one hell of a fight. If you had not been there to support Corvinus and I, he and I both could have died there. You saw it- the mage was soaking his robes in crimson when we arrived, and my dear roundshield broke not long after. Fighting knights in full plate-mail is hard enough, but without a shield and but a sword in your good hand? If the first fight doesn't end you the next one will," with his now mostly clean hand, Alta fished for his pipe and accessories. Once everything was packed and lit, and back in its proper places, he offered the clean hand to William.
"We went through hell and we made it out alive, and it was because we make a damn good team. Come swordsmen, the curse, or all the gods themselves, you'll always have my shield at your side, brother. As for the pay, my contact has watchers everywhere in the low-tier, he most likely already knows it was we that saved the royals, and will be in contact with at some point." After a good firm shake, Alta took in their immediate surroundings.
The roads around were sparsely populated but for the garrison cleaning blood and bodies- it seems the only fighting to be had this close to the castle of the low-tier was what Covinus had assisted with when they had arrived with the Nobles and royals. The backways were probably hellish, but with how sparse the action was here..."When the mage is done, I know of a place we can go. Never used, plenty of beds, and food and ale to keep us temperate while we lay low," he poked at the mix of ash and leaf in the bowl of his pipe as he continued, "Corvinus is already connected to the Nobles, yet he can blend in easily. He will be our mediary for when Elric sends for us. Better only one out and about than all of us."
He looked back toward the mid tier. The large gate that opened to the cobbled ramp up to the next level of civilization wasn't far from where the stood. He had only been up once or twice, and the high tier, where Nobles and their ilk lay, was something Alta hadn't even had the privilege of dreaming about. One thought scratched at the back of the raider's mind while he sat and stared. If it was the dead of night- more the early hours of morning now. Sirel's plan had been foiled but how long had the letter been traveling before it came into Alta's hands? Whatever the case the answer was, the true question was- how long did they have before the army arrived? Not to mention, an insurrection had caused all of this damage- all of this death... what would 30,000 men do to this city?
William LIstened to Alta talk about the fight William had in him. William never once even thought about his actions back with defending the royals, he merely acted out of instinct so he couldn't really hold Alta’s words to heart until the man spoke a word, that damned word, Brother. In the Knoll's, referring to a friend as one's brother carried a lot of weight. It means being by one's side through thick and thin, life and death, good or evil. Not even william could call Bosco brother, william wasn't sure if he had the faith to call Alta brother yet, but, this was the step in the right direction. “I hope you are right friend, and you better hope I don't have to hold you to it.” William said with a laugh. As Alta cleaned himself up William checked over his own body, his bright orange tunic dulled with blood, his armor dented and scratched, and helmet left somewhere back where he threw it at a knight of the church. He usually did not like walking about without face coverings but tonight would be an ok exception, besides a scavenger had probably grabbed that and everything else off of the bodies.
Alta then mentioned a place where they could go to lay low. Beds, ale, quiet, that seemed like the perfect place to be after tonight and yet William hesitated. “Shouldn’t one of us stay with Corvinus as long as we can? He is healing both friend and foe alike, i am appreciative of his actions but he still could be in danger.'' William brought his concerns, just because the battle was over doesn't mean another could start up just as quick. “Also I need to see if my friends got out of the city as they said they were going too. An elf, an orc, and a half demon don't exactly fit the church's idea of proper characters… besides my horse was at our camp before we decided to come to the city and when i decided to leave the group. I was going to retrieve it tomorrow morning but as you can see I got a wee bit preoccupied.” William added another comment. He felt uneasy not knowing the safety of them and his horse. He paid a good coin for that.
Truly exhausted now, his magic drained, Corvinus could no longer continue to heal. There was still dozens left to tend to, but that would have to fall to the other healers who had been brought in from around the city to help. His brow slick with sweat, Corvinus turned to the other duty of a healer. Tending to the dying. Some were just too far gone for help, clinging on to the last vestiges of life remaining, and so they were often ignored by the others as they tried to save those with a chance. Kneeling next to them, Corvinus gave them a few drops of olercea to ease their pain and help them drift off to sleep. In their delirium, they often mistook him for friends or family, and he would sit there and hold their hand, listening to their regrets, their sorrows, and reminding them to let go. In a way, it was more draining that the actual healing process, but he had done this task over and over on his journey. It didn't get easier, but you got used to it.
Moving past a few of the guards to a resting station that was set up, he dipped his hands into a bowl of water to wash them of blood. Rubbing his thumbs over the skin, he scoured them as best his could before drying his hands on his tattered shirt. In a fresh bowl, he threw water over his face to wash it of dirt, letting the cooling water run down his back and neck. After one last splash, Corvinus closed his eyes as he let the water fall back down from his face, thinking back to how they failed to kill the High Priest. He could only hope the man would be caught before he could flee the city, but he had his doubts.
"My lord?" Said a voice from the outside of the tent, rousing him from his thoughts. Quickly wiping away what water he could and pushing back his hair, Corvinus turned to see a small servant girl kneeling in the doorway, her head hung low so if she were speaking to a superior. "The captain of the guard wishes to see you, to discuss the attack. If you would follow me, should it please you.". Nodding in agreement, Corvinus gathered his staff and followed her outside, about to make his way over to the congregation of guards that now lined the path to the castle. "No my lord, he wishes to speak in private, away from prying eyes." The servant said quickly, before gesturing him towards an alleyway. Too tired to think straight, Corvinus merely nodded again and followed the girl through the streets. Still staying close to the castle walls, the servant guided him through alleyway after alleyway, until he thought that they were almost lost. Before he could question her however, she stopped at the entrance to a small villa and opened the door, ushering him inside.
Walking through the door, Corvinus found himself in a small flower garden, with tiled stones cutting through it towards a fountain. On one side of the garden was a modest villa, while on the other sat some stables, a few horses resting for the night. "If you will wait here, I will retrieve the captain for you." She said, before disappearing into the villa. Left alone, Corvinus approached the fountain, stopping every now and again to run his hands over the petals of the flowers. Tying his cloak around himself, still covered in blood, he thought it more prudent to meet the captain with blood on his cloak rather than in his tattered shirt. Stopping next to the fountain, he gazed into the waters to see the moon reflected above, starting to peer out through the clouds. Reaching down, Corvinus ran his fingers through the water, disturbing the image before a familiar voice came from behind him. "Yes, that's him."
Turning around, Corvinus watched as the servant girl and another robed figure approached. As he got closer, the man pushed back his hood to reveal he was King Elric. Surprised, Corvinus almost forgot his manners before he began to kneel. "Please, rise." Elric said, holding his hand out to stop the gesture. Bringing himself back to his feet, the king turned back to the servant girl "Return to the castle, make sure my daughter is tended to." With a formal bow, the woman took her leave, retreating back into the building, leaving the two of them alone. "I don't understand, weren't you at the castle? This isn't the night to take risks." Corvinus began, not realising yet that he was chastising a monarch.
"True, but I thought it best we talk alone, without an audience or the machinations of the court." The King replied, taking a seat on a nearby stone bench, his ragged brown cloak hiding the finery underneath "My family built a small passage to this villa, should we ever have need to escape. It should be private enough here."
"I've yet to thank you for your intervention today, without you, my daughter and I would likely have perished." He added, removing from his disguise the scroll that Corvinus had handed to the princess before the fight began.
"No need to thank me Your Grace, was it not for my companions, I would never have known about the danger." Corvinus said honestly, which piqued the curiosity of the King. "Your companions?"
Corvinus explained the events of the day, about his meeting with both Alta and William and what they read on the scroll. The king sat attentively, making no questions and instead taking the time to absorb the information given to him. He concluded with why and how he had managed to sneak into the royal stands to make sure Sirel wouldn't succeed in his mission. He also explained that the others were carrying out their own tasks, and that they joined them when the madness of the tournament broke loose.
"I see. What is your name?"
"Corvinus Vost." He replied truthfully, seeing no reason to lie to the King. Elric rose to his feet and extended a hand out to him in thanks, which Corvinus accepted with a firm handshake "I cannot stay much longer, the court will soon begin to notice my disappearance."
"I should warn you, there is already lords and ladies in my court suggesting that you, and your friends, be apprehended and handed over to the Cathedral in order to try and improve relations." Elric explained, raising his hood up to cover his face once again. "My Chancellor is adamant that we can stave off invasion through gifts to the Pontiff."
"And what do you think, Your Grace?"
Elric paused for a moment, looking into his eyes as if searching for any hint of a lie. "I think that we need to prepare. Tomorrow I will send my guards to bring you to my court, and my Chancellor will likely question you to ascertain your guilt."
"Be honest, and true. There are dark days ahead, and I need those outside the intrigue of the court to trust. " The King said, before turning to leave. As he reached the door to the villa, he turned his head back to him once more "Thank you, again. I look forward to meeting your friends." And with that he was gone.
Leaving the courtyard, Corvinus rubbed his eyes, letting our a deep sign as he realised what he had just gotten himself into. He had spent most of his life trying to avoid the game of politics that his father had always played, and yet here he was about to plunge head first into the conflict with the kingdom and the Cathedral. Tired, and ready for some good food and a warm bed, he made his way back towards the main street to look for William and Alta. They would want to hear what the King had to say.
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on Jun 2, 2021 4:18:39 GMT
Alta raised an eyebrow at William, "We aren't simply going to leave the mage behind. He's as much a part of our little band as you and I are," he turned to motion toward Covrinus, only to find him following a cloaked figure into the Backways, "but of course, its a totally different matter if he leaves us." He shook his head a bit. Even after what they had all just experienced, he still had enough blind trust to follow any old bat along. The raider knew Corvinus was a smart man, however, so perhaps his following this unknown person did not go unwarranted. As a matter of fact, the way he hurried away... "It seems there is a possibility that a party of interest has made contact."
Alta frowned as he scratched at his facial hair until his mental gymnastics were interrupted by William. The three he mentioned fit the profile of the trio he had been sitting with when he had first seen the lad during the festival. "I understand your concerns. I assume you rode with those men for a long time, however, we have much more to worry about now. Going off on your own would not be the best of ideas right now," he pointed toward the alley Corvinus had disappeared into, "as I will say to our mutual partner. Even now, eyes could be watching from the darkness. There are only so many people we can trust, and that number is embarrassingly small," he sat for a moment before untying his coin purse from his belt and tossing it to the fellow, "I apologize about your horse. This should cover the cost for a decent stallion. I know its not your horse, persay, but I'd rather make sure you stay alive. Who knows who might try to throw a knife into your back the very moment you turn a corner." As he finished, a man shambled back out from the backways, and the raider sighed, "at least our mage was a fair bit lucky on his escapade."
With that, he turned and stepped off toward Corvinus, ready to unload more than a few questions about their surprise visitor.
Turning to see William and Alta approaching him, Corvinus moved to close the distance. Before they could say anything however, he raised a hand to silence any incoming questions. "Not now. Best that we speak in private. Preferably where we can get some food." Corvinus said wearily, a dull pain spreading through his head as he felt the hunger of the day catch up with him. Letting Alta take the lead, he followed them over towards a nearby tavern.
The mood was alot more sullen than the last tavern they met in, some of the injured citizens taking refuge from the chaos on the street which the landlord was clearly not a fan of. Squeezing past the throng of people to approach the bar, Corvinus finally made it through to speak with the landlord. "Not more vagrants off the street." The man spat, his face pulled tight into a scowl. Forgetting that his clothes were in tatters, Corvinus looked down at the remains of this blood stained shirt before bringing his attention back to the landlord. "Not vagrants, paying customers." He replied, reaching into one of the pouches on his belt to produce a silver coin, placing it on the counter. "One room please." Taking the coin, the man rubbed his thumb over the relief depicted before approaching a small board between the shelves of ale and wine. Taking a key off one of the hooks, he tossed it towards Corvinus who caught it with his free hand. "And if you could bring some food and drink up it would be appreciated. He's paying." Corvinus finished, tapping Alta on the shoulder as he left him to pay the man.
Making his way upstairs to the room, he fumbled with the key in the lock initially before pushing it open. The room could be described as modest at best, two beds, a table and some chairs as well as a small bench. Claiming one of the beds before the others could arrive, Corvinus rested his staff against the headboard and removed his cloak and belt, laying them neatly on the floor. When joined by the others, he began to fill them in on everything that happened in the meeting with the King, pausing only when a knock came on the door as the landlord delivered their food and drink.
William followed Alta as they walked after Corvinus left the group with a stranger. Perhaps a friend of his? A messenger? He did not know. He listened to Alta talk, paranoia, fear and distrust where in his words, William did not entirely enjoy the fact that Alta did not believe in his ability to take care of himself, suggesting that he forget his friend and belongings for now. Alta tried to hand him some coin to cover a new horse, but William turned him down.
"It's not just the horse I'm worried about, many of my belongings are with him and the group. I shall simply send a young lad to look for it later, if there's anything young lads like lassies, coin and riding someone else's horse, I can at least provide two of the three." William said as they continued to walk. After some time they managed to catch up with Corvinus, thankfully he was in good health. He ushered the two to an inn, and got the group established into a room. As the group claimed beds and commodities, Corvinus spoke.
Corvinus talked about the king and court, how some of the nobles loved the group and others wanted to turn them into the church. To William this sounded like a joke, especially when Corvinus finished his filling in with the fact the king and court wanted to meet them. William said with a hearty laugh, "Ha Ha! That be the funniest thing I've heard in a long time, lad, the court wants to speak with us? What next the king will let us have a night with his daughter? HA HA… Ha ha… ha?"
William stopped laughing when he had noticed that he was the only one laughing. He looked at the seriousness in the others' eyes and realized Corvinus meant what he said. "OH NO! OH LORD NO! NOT IN A LIFETIME NOT IN A HUNDRED LIFE TIMES!" William said in disgust at the thought. "You'll have to drag me in by my ears and a muzzle around my mouth, I refuse to even speak to those high and mighty bastarda after them even thinking of turning us into the church. Do you know what nobles think of and speak like when they see people like me? They mock and they laugh, and they cry and cry if you dare say something back. I'll be thrown in the king's god forsaken dungeon in mere minutes. You two have experience in this. I am nothing more than scum to them, you'd be better off without me." William said as he angrily paced back and forth speaking more with his hands then his mouth.
"And another thing if I see that Lord Jameson there I'll lose me damn mind. I know he'll be there too, ready to just throw us to the church without a second thought that cowardly bastard. I hope a fairy curses his whole damn family of bastards." He said as he sat down, incredibly unhappy about their current situation.
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on Jun 25, 2021 18:57:15 GMT
It didn't take long for Alta to get comfortable in their room of the inn, even pulling from a pouch on his belt his pipe and tobacco and taking a few puffs. The news Corvinus brought to them was troublesome to say the least, but understandable. Of course, there would be a few cowardly nobles with interest only in themselves and their wealth, with no investment in the very city they live in. Those that sided with the king against the Cathedral would be their closest allies. He cast a look at the William and his joke, and listened to his case. He in fact made a good point, but now was not the time to show fear, but to save face- or in his case, what was left of it, rather. "Brother, I understand your issues. Trust me when I say I have no love for nobles and their court," he shot a glance at Corvinus, "I only trust you because you left that life behind to help those the court ignores. Regardless, my experience in the court is less than yours -the nobles of my homeland cared for blood more than gold- so these men have no love, neither respect, nor trust from me." Alta sighed as he tapped the ash out of his pipe and rekindled it, sighing the smoke out of his lungs as he rubbed his temples with his free hand, " I will say this, no matter what these nobles say, the king has the final word, and he seems to trust us- enough to even tell us that some in the court still favor the Cathedral and their filth after all of this. My peace of mind lays in the fact that Elric will side with us in the end. Of this, I am sure."
He looked toward Corvinus, a worrisome look on his face, "I will keep my mouth shut until I am asked to open it, but know that the words I will say will not land us the favor of the church sympathizers; I fear they will hate us even more if my words are spoken. I trust you will be able to handle the workings of the court for as long as you need to, but this.... this is not the situation I expected to find us in," he looked back to William, "and you... I understand that you are fearful of what these currs will have to say to and about us, but know this, you are deformed, but still a local. If anyone is to see the gallows from this, it is I, the foreigner in a distant land, whose hands are covered in the blood of those from all walks of life, be they peasants to warriors to nobles, if you stifle your anger long enough to see us past this barricade we find ourselves at the summit of, you will live on to see the next day. Besides, who is more deserving of your hatred, those who make fun of you, but still run to ask you for aid when their lives are in danger, or those to seek to have you hanged as soon as your boots touch the dirt of any town or village owned by the Cathedral? They see you in the same light they see nonhumans in, and would treat you no different. Know who the true enemy is, brother."
Alta sat back in the chair he rested in and looked to the ceiling. "If anything, if they really do seek to have our heads for saving their lives, I will state how it all started- how I roped you two into it all, how I was the one to be paid for this, how I was the one that conspired against the Cathedral. I will beg on my hands and knees for your safe passage. You deserve no harm for what I had you do," a deep frown formed on his face, "The one who hired me is a court noble. This I will say. They know who we are now. If I die, they will pay you instead..." tears welled in the raider's eyes, but his voice never wavered, and they never fell to his face, "I only ask that, If I hang, that my topknot is cut from my head, tied to my sword, and sent back to my homeland. If sent directly to Castle Breslau, they will see it returned to my sister. It is for her, the last of my family, to decide whether to cast it in the sea to rest with my bretheren, or burn it, may the flames that consume the steel and hair consume my soul as well for living such a blackened life. Perhaps she will make an heirloom of it and pass it to my nephew... if I am worthy of having such an honor." His mouth opened to continue, but now more words could leave- his heart was gripped with grief. Perhaps, though, it would be a fitting end for the man. He could only hope that his sister would forgive him in the end once the sword he carried found its way to her hands.
"Trust me William, I have little interest in dealing with the nobles myself. Much of my youth was spend dealing with court life, and I don't much fancy returning to dealing with the sycophants." Corvinus said, already sensing the trepidation of their summons to the court. He remembered having to learn the etiquette of court, how to address his peers and kneel to his betters. Attending parties and banquets, learning dance and rhythm. As he reached his teens, his father would insist on bringing him to court. For long hours he was sit listening to the judgements of the nobles, while conversing with others to form alliances and advance the family's cause. "Most of the nobles are just fearful. The prospect of facing down the Cathedral and their armies is daunting, especially for a smaller kingdom like Telarin."
Corvinus listened to Alta as he spoke, the silence hanging over the room as he finished. The mood was sombre at best, the thought of facing down the nobles tomorrow somehow a more terrifying thought than fighting outnumbered against the Cathedral knights tonight. They sat in silence for a moment, continuing to drink and eat, before Corvinus spoke up. "Come now, we have reason to celebrate. The road may be long and arduous, but that is all the more reason to celebrate the small things." Grabbing the pitcher of ale, he refilled each of their drinks before raising his own. "To the journey."
Raising his drink to his lips, he drained the cup in one, before taking a deep breath and setting it back down on the table. "Alright, with the two of you electing me as the spokeman tomorrow, I think that's all the drink I will have, and bid you goodnight." Corvinus said, pushing himself up to his feet with a soft groan before grabbed another slice of bread to eat. His body ached and his spirit was drained after the night, and he would have to be sound of mind for tomorrow. Sitting back down at the edge of the bed again, Corvinus kicked off his travelling boots and lay back on top of the blanket, sparing himself from any bed bugs that might rest on the blanket. No doubt the guards would be searching the taverns and inns for them, and frankly he had no interest in waking before then. Reaching up, Corvinus ran his fingers over his locket around his neck, before tucking it into his robes.
William listened to the others speak. His head hung heavy with Alta's words, they were right, tomorrow would be the most dreadful day of a lifetime. If they chose, they'd hang Alta for not being from the kingdom, they'd hang him for being nothing more than a sellsword, a mercenary, and they'd hang Corvinus for good measure. Ay they were in poor times and what was worse, it was up to the graciousness of others for it to be better.
William removed his armor and placed it at the foot of his bed, he walked over to the table and poured a glass of wine out and took the rest of the bottle for himself as he returned to his bed.
"Ay these ungrateful bastards should be on their hands and knees thanking us for saving them, catering to our every demand." He said as he took a big swig. "Yes I think a good demand from each of us would do nicely, nothing major just enough to get the point across." A grin grew across his face, just thinking about how stupid these were made him giggle to himself like a young boy.
"We're not monsters, I only think what would be fair. Alta, I think you should ask, no, demand that you sit on the royal throne, crown and scepter and show those miserable fools how you lead a kingdom… and you Corvinus, should demand that everyone whose life you saved give you a kiss on the arse… Alta and I being last respectfully… and for me? I won't demand much, just lock me in the king's wine cellar with a couple of strumpets and lose the key for a few days." William finished the wine bottle with one last gulp and set it aside.
"Well whatever happens it'll be Hell or at least miserable. And as for you two I suggest falling asleep before I do, I've been known to shake buildings to the ground with my snoring." William said as he got himself into bed. "I can't wait to see the king tomorrow with the same clothes I have now, in tatters and covered in others blood, I bet that'll leave a good first impression."
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on Jul 15, 2021 14:42:06 GMT
Alta leaned back in his chair, licking his fingers and touching the flame of the lantern centered on the table he sat at. the dim candles around the room gave seldom light, but enough to see without bothering Corvinus as he moved to sleep. "If the king wills to gift us anything, I may ask for some shiny new armor," he looked down at the boss of his shield, "Or perhaps a new round-shield to replace what I lost in his defense." He chuckled to himself, but the smile that formed on his face quickly dissipated. "But demands? No. There is no demand I can give that he could give me. I only wish for Lothern to be at peace so that the kings, queens, lords and ladies of this divided hegemony can focus on fighting the Chaos. I seek the heads of those that oppress and do wrong by their people, and the heads of those that lead the church and follow it blindly. No thing will come before this for me." he sighed as he leaned back and looked out of the window, sipping at the smoke emanating from his pipe. "If my niece and nephew can grow in this world knowing that they are part of a united people fighting evil rather than each-other, then when my blood stains the earth, I will be at peace." The corner of his mouth twitched, but he ignored it, raking his fingers over the shaven portions of his head, and scratching into his rough beard. "Sleep well, William. I will rest soon."
The raider was still plagued by the sight of the city streets, the mangled and mutilated forms dancing like afterimages burned in his retinas when he closed his eyes. In all his years fighting, killing, he had never hoped to see such a horrid sight. The Cathedral was capable of disgusting things. Just how brainwashed were their followers for them to commit such atrocities without a second thought? The thought remained in his mind, but received no viable answer. Surely after today, however, the other rightful rulers of their lands would see this retaliation as a sign that the Cathedral was not as powerful as they once thought, and make their own moves towards freedom, but one could only pray. Alta frowned as he looked down toward the darkened side streets. Watching the people dart from road to road in seek of their homes or good shelter for the night. The fires in the distance had died down, but the smoke still hung in the air. The higher tiers seemed mostly at peace, now, compared to the commoners' hobbles they now resided in. Perhaps, if he lived through tomorrow, he would prowl the markets of the mid-tier. The merchandise there was meant for more well-endowed folk, sure, but it was always nice to peruse.
As the raider watched the road, something caught his eye. A figure in a black cloak, standing at the berth of an alley. They stood, motionless, their posture strong and tall. A single gauntlet was visible in the moonlight, the finely worked metals catching the moonlight. the hand seemed to clutch something, their fingers rubbing against it, but as to what it was, Alta did not know. As he watched them, however, the hand moved, motioning to form a circle, then closing to form a fist, to which then the figure placed it over their heart and bowed, and disappeared. The color flushed from Alta's face. Perhaps... No, it cannot be them. They are tied to other things. There is no way they are here...
Whatever the thought, there was no way for him to truly know, so he kept what he witnessed to himself. He smashed down the embers of the now smouldered tobacco in his pipe and laid it on the small table next to him. You have no time to think of phantoms, anyway. Your head could very well leave you tomorrow. Focus on your comrades, first.He shook his head slowly before crossing his arms, letting his body relax, and finally casting off to sleep. What little rest he could get, he would need. They all would, for the events of tomorrow would be far from what they thought.
It was a knock on the door that would wake up Corvinus, his head and vision still hazy from the night rest. Rubbing his eyes with one of his hands, he used the other to push himself up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed to rest on the wooden floor. Light streamed in through their small window, cutting through the dust and haze of the room as the day was already well underway. It would seem they had slept a little longer than necessary, the position of the sun telling Corvinus that it was just before noon. There was another loud knocking, but before he could answer the door was opened and several guards entered the room. While some were everyday soldiers, three of them were of the King's own guard, heavy velvet cloaks obscuring the left side of their body while in their right hand they held halberds. One of them stepped forward, looking between the three men. "Which of you is Corvinus?"
"I am." Corvinus replied, pulling on his boots and grabbing his staff. Without any hesitation, the guard pulled from his cloak a small vellum scroll with the insignia of Telarin sealed in wax. "You are summoned immediatly to the King's Court to answer for your actions during the attack." The knight continued, giving a nod to his comrades who began to leave the room. "We will escort you when you are ready." He finished, before leaving as well. Looking over to the others, Corvinus broke the seal on the scroll, reading out loud to them.
'By order of Chancellor Tarvell, you are summoned to attend an inquiry into the attempt on his majesty King Elric life, and that of Princess Isabelle.
While there are currently no allegations held against you, failure to attend the hearing will result in suspicions being laid upon you and your allies. As such, you will be named an enemy of the crown, and face prosecution to the full extent of the law.'
"Cheerful." Corvinus finished with, tossing the parchment on the bed if the others wanted to read it. "Not like they are giving us much of a chance to escape, not with our royal escort waiting outside." Still they had a few moments to gather themselves, Corvinus pulled his robes around him to hide the tattered, bloodstained apparel as best he could. When the three of them were ready, Corvinus gave them a nod before heading out the door and back down the stairs to the inn. It was quiet now, only a few regulars coming in for a spot of lunch and good ale to wash it down. Before they even left the building however, they spotted two of the soldiers waiting for them. "I correct myself. Not giving us any chance to escape." Corvinus said under his breath, making his way towards the exit. They followed suit, and when they stepped out into the light of a new day, they found the rest waiting for them. "Good. Come." Said one of the King's Guard, the three of them leading the way up the street towards the King's Palace while the other guards spread out around them, making a box to prevent them escaping.
As they marched down the street, they passed those still suffering from from attack. Many were wounded, resting against buildings with their heads wrapped tightly in bandages, some with lost eyes, others with lost limbs. Those still able bodied were gathering up those that died onto carts, to be sent to the temples for people to reclaim their loved ones. They never had long to look however, as the guards continued to usher them back to where they had left off that night. The area was still heavily guarded, the gates to the castle locked from the night before with archers now also in place. Coming to stop, a senior captain made his way forward to greet them. The soldiers saluted before stepping away, letting them speak.
"Your weapons, all of them" The captain ordered, a few soldiers coming in to collect their gear. Corvinus handed over his staff, and agreed to a search to make sure they hadn't missed anything. Satisfied that they had gathered all their weapon, the captain produced a set of iron shackles from behind him. "Place your hands behind your back." He wasn't speaking to all of them, just Corvinus.
"Am I being charged with something already?" Corvinus asked cooly, but the captain just shook his head. "Just orders. Tarvell would prefer not to have a mage running free within the court. For safety." Raising an eyebrow, the shackles wouldn't stop him from using his magic, but to keep the peace Corvinus turned to face the other two, letting the captain shackle his hands behind his back.