10-21-2019, 12:04 AM
Kal rubbed at his neck, and the few bruises he had, watching the two guards, with their weapons drawn. The woman had rich golden hair, her eyes including the irises, were a slightly lighter shade of gold. From the right side of her back sprouted a single white feathered wing. It was kept close to the center of her back to maintain her balance. Despite that her form wasn’t disproportioned. There was a pair of medium length swords in scabbards on either hip, and a scale mail hood pooled around her neck. She had a polished stride. Confident. She could have been walking towards a crowd of a hundred men and she’d have shown not a hint of fear. The two men fell back towards their charge trying to make a wall between her and him. As she walked towards Percival she pressed a hand to his chest and with a surprising amount of force that bellied her size, and considering she had no momentum behind her, he was sent backwards and slammed ungracefully into one of the bench seats. She paused only long enough to regard the puddle that had formed where he’d been standing. Kal thought he could make out only the slightest smirk as she gave it a wide berth. Her gaze fell coolly to Percival. Then to Briol and Kal. She only briefly passed over Kal and lingered for a few moments on Briol. “Gunther” she pressed her thumb and fingers to her forehead without looking back over her shoulder, and sighed. “Which one of them beat the boy?” Gunther didn’t miss a beat in reply. “Lord Gant did.” She nodded. “I see.” Gunther didn’t bother to hide the venom in his tone, even if he used a proper honorific. “Sister Monwere, Victor?” Elaine spoke to the other two, this time she turned around. “Take the other children outside, please.” Kal couldn’t help but notice Mash reaching for Ashlynn’s hand as they were lead away. She took it, hesitantly, but she took it all the same. She looked over to where he and Briol were sitting, mouthing something to him, doll-like features stained with tears. She kept glancing back over her shoulder as she was lead away.
Just as the doors were about to close the clean-shaven nobleman who’d slipped out of his sandals tried to sprint for the door. There was that tell-tale clicking sound as Gunther’s crossbow loosed another bolt and moments later the man was howling in pain. The bolt had hit him in the shoulder. He tumbled to the ground with a thud scattering some cups and bowls from a nearby table as he failed to break his fall. He was sobbing quite loudly at this point. With a sigh Elaine glanced back in his direction. His guards went to help him, but with an outstretched hand Elaine stopped them. “Leave him.” Assuming the guards weren’t local they had clearly figured out who she was. “Gunther, tend to the boys.” She turned to the two guards pointing to the smaller of the two. “You. I want your sword on Lord Gant. If he moves, kill him.” Then to the other. “If he doesn’t kill Lord Gant for moving, you can kill them both.” It took a few seconds for her orders to register, but Kal hadn’t ever seen two fully armored men move that fast. The smaller one had his sword on Lord Gant, who by now was holding his head in his hands, the larger one held his mace at the ready eyeing either one of them. At that she started a slow walk across the hall to where the piteously wailing nobleman was leaned up against a table.
Gunther looked Kal over, assessing that his injuries weren’t all that bad, and instead went immediately to Briol. “Kal, right?” said Gunther as he began to clear the table. “Give me a hand, otherwise your friend here is dead.” Kal began to help clear away the table and then helped Gunther move Briol so that he lay atop it. His face, most of his upper body was covered in gashes and slashes from the riding crop, he had bled through all over his clothes. Kal could barely recognize his face. “Help me get his shirt off.” Said Gunther. Kal’s hands shook as he fiddled with the blood soaked buttons. “Kal.” Said Gunther, his voice was even and calm, his hands fiddled through a pouch at his side without looking he was settings things on the table just inside his peripheral vision. “Calm down, just take a deep breath.” Kal gulped, then nodded. With a little work Kal managed to get Briol’s shirt out of the way, and Briol's breathing seemed to be a little easier. Gunther began sizing Briol up. Then looked to Kal as he pulled out a needle and thread, along with a pair of bottles. “Cut bandages from this roll of cloth about this long” Gunther dragged his finger from his elbow to his wrist. Kal nodded and began unrolling the cloth.
Gunther uncorked one bottle, it was clearly some kind of alcohol from the smell and dipped a needle and thread into it. Thereafter, with surprising dexterity, he began sewing some of the gashes and cuts shut. This clearly wasn’t his first time doing this sort of thing. Gunther motioned for the strips of cloth and Kal began handing them over. He dipped each of them in a bit of salve and then pressed them into some of the more grievous wounds before wrapping them with a separate roll of cloth. Finally, with that done, he propped Briol’s head back and poured a potion of some sort down his throat. “It’s a healing potion, not a miracle or magic, but it should speed up his natural healing abilities.” He passed one to Kal too. Kal slid back down to the bench and drank it down. He glanced to where Elaine was kneeling beside the nobleman. She was saying something, he could see that, but Kal couldn’t make it out. The nobleman was babbling incoherently, and sobbing. Gunther sat down on the bench beside Kal, at the same time he checked his crossbow and glanced over to the two guards and Percival, then followed Kal’s gaze. “She’s giving him last rites, or maybe saying them for all the children that bastard has killed.” Kal’s face screwed up at that, and he glowered at the man. A
Elaine’s hand closed around the man’s jerking his chin upward to look into her eyes. “Lord Kaspen Crutchfield.” She shook her head, finally naming the monster. “It wasn’t enough of a message when we kept sending your solicitors and guards back to Lau Tier brutalized, eventually dead? Did you think I wasn’t sincere? Your perversions and the dark magic you wield might be overlooked in Lau Tier, but not here. You’re not terribly bright, you know. I let slip that we would be away from Halfroad to draw you here.” She motioned to Gunther “I sent him there to bring word to you, personally. You fell right into my trap, you’re a monster. I couldn’t reach you in Lau Tier, but you made the mistake of stepping into my world. Halfroad is mine, and as much as I would like to see your corpse swing from Lau Tier’s gates as a warning for your entire miserable clan to stay away, I know they might use that as an excuse to turn you into a Lich.” He sobbed and moaned but couldn’t form words. Fortunately, his fall earlier had shattered his jaw. Not that she was terribly interested in what he had to say. She glanced back over her shoulder to Kal, then unfurled her single wing obstructing his view. A soft glow enshrouded Elaine and snaked down her arm. Kaspen squirmed and tried with all his might to get away, but she held him fast. Reciting rites as the glow crossed the threshold where her fingers contacted Kaspen, he began to writhe and squirm. The whole of his body was soon engulfed in it, and a white-hot light born from the azure flame that spread across his form burned so bright that Kal had to look away even with the obstruction of her wing in the way. When she stood, where Kaspen had once sat there was nothing but a pile of ash and his clothing. There were no residual burn marks, nothing else had gone alight. He was simply gone. She picked up his purse, which contained the money he intended to use to purchase Ashlynn.
Elaine turned on Percival then. The man nearly fainted, as did the two guards. “Lord Gant” She said flatly as she pulled up a chair. She turned it around, straddling it, folding her single wing in against her back then motioned for the two guards to sit. They did as they were bid, albeit a bit loudly as their armor scraped against the benches causing them to creak a little beneath their weight. “I knew your father. He was an honorable man. I’m sure if he’s watching from his place at our departed Patriarch’s side, he’s sick at the rot that’s festered in your core. That you would do this in my city, invite this filth to my home? How dare you?” She glared, her voice raising several octaves as she spoke. Percival tried to shrink further into the bench. She sighed. “Still, today will see you with the chance to turn over a new leaf.” She tossed him the satchel of coin she’d retrieved from Kaspen. Despite his shaking hands he caught it, fidgeting nervously he waited for her to nod before he tried opening it. “You are banished from Halfroad. Your property is now mine.” She motioned to the satchel of coin. “That is payment for what I estimate the value of your property to be.” She smiled. “The grounds were in such a state of disrepair, not to mention the state of the manor house as I passed through on my way to meet with you.” In truth the plantation’s manor hadn’t been in nearly as bad shape as the rest of the grounds. That is, until her men had ransacked it during the fighting on their way in. He couldn’t argue though. “You will take that coin, and you will make a new life for yourself somewhere else. Anywhere else. Just not here. I don’t care where you go, or by which means you arrive there, but if you should ever return to Halfroad know that your life is forfeit. You have until sundown today to gather your personal effects, and you will depart before dawn tomorrow. You will take these two men with you and return them to Lau Tier.” Percival began to get to his feet. “Oh, and one more thing?” He stopped. “As you depart my domain there are three taverns. You will stop at each of them, speak to your crimes, and of my magnanimous nature.” She turned to the guards. “You are to accompany this man as far as Lau Tier. I will have a writ placing you under my protection prepared. Gather your master’s remains and bring them to his family. If they, or anyone in their service, should darken the gates of my city from now until the day I am interred, know that all the defenses Lau Tier can muster will not stop me from bringing a fight to their door.” Percival and the guards nodded and nearly trampled each other in their rush to be anywhere but in that hall.
Just as the doors were about to close the clean-shaven nobleman who’d slipped out of his sandals tried to sprint for the door. There was that tell-tale clicking sound as Gunther’s crossbow loosed another bolt and moments later the man was howling in pain. The bolt had hit him in the shoulder. He tumbled to the ground with a thud scattering some cups and bowls from a nearby table as he failed to break his fall. He was sobbing quite loudly at this point. With a sigh Elaine glanced back in his direction. His guards went to help him, but with an outstretched hand Elaine stopped them. “Leave him.” Assuming the guards weren’t local they had clearly figured out who she was. “Gunther, tend to the boys.” She turned to the two guards pointing to the smaller of the two. “You. I want your sword on Lord Gant. If he moves, kill him.” Then to the other. “If he doesn’t kill Lord Gant for moving, you can kill them both.” It took a few seconds for her orders to register, but Kal hadn’t ever seen two fully armored men move that fast. The smaller one had his sword on Lord Gant, who by now was holding his head in his hands, the larger one held his mace at the ready eyeing either one of them. At that she started a slow walk across the hall to where the piteously wailing nobleman was leaned up against a table.
Gunther looked Kal over, assessing that his injuries weren’t all that bad, and instead went immediately to Briol. “Kal, right?” said Gunther as he began to clear the table. “Give me a hand, otherwise your friend here is dead.” Kal began to help clear away the table and then helped Gunther move Briol so that he lay atop it. His face, most of his upper body was covered in gashes and slashes from the riding crop, he had bled through all over his clothes. Kal could barely recognize his face. “Help me get his shirt off.” Said Gunther. Kal’s hands shook as he fiddled with the blood soaked buttons. “Kal.” Said Gunther, his voice was even and calm, his hands fiddled through a pouch at his side without looking he was settings things on the table just inside his peripheral vision. “Calm down, just take a deep breath.” Kal gulped, then nodded. With a little work Kal managed to get Briol’s shirt out of the way, and Briol's breathing seemed to be a little easier. Gunther began sizing Briol up. Then looked to Kal as he pulled out a needle and thread, along with a pair of bottles. “Cut bandages from this roll of cloth about this long” Gunther dragged his finger from his elbow to his wrist. Kal nodded and began unrolling the cloth.
Gunther uncorked one bottle, it was clearly some kind of alcohol from the smell and dipped a needle and thread into it. Thereafter, with surprising dexterity, he began sewing some of the gashes and cuts shut. This clearly wasn’t his first time doing this sort of thing. Gunther motioned for the strips of cloth and Kal began handing them over. He dipped each of them in a bit of salve and then pressed them into some of the more grievous wounds before wrapping them with a separate roll of cloth. Finally, with that done, he propped Briol’s head back and poured a potion of some sort down his throat. “It’s a healing potion, not a miracle or magic, but it should speed up his natural healing abilities.” He passed one to Kal too. Kal slid back down to the bench and drank it down. He glanced to where Elaine was kneeling beside the nobleman. She was saying something, he could see that, but Kal couldn’t make it out. The nobleman was babbling incoherently, and sobbing. Gunther sat down on the bench beside Kal, at the same time he checked his crossbow and glanced over to the two guards and Percival, then followed Kal’s gaze. “She’s giving him last rites, or maybe saying them for all the children that bastard has killed.” Kal’s face screwed up at that, and he glowered at the man. A
Elaine’s hand closed around the man’s jerking his chin upward to look into her eyes. “Lord Kaspen Crutchfield.” She shook her head, finally naming the monster. “It wasn’t enough of a message when we kept sending your solicitors and guards back to Lau Tier brutalized, eventually dead? Did you think I wasn’t sincere? Your perversions and the dark magic you wield might be overlooked in Lau Tier, but not here. You’re not terribly bright, you know. I let slip that we would be away from Halfroad to draw you here.” She motioned to Gunther “I sent him there to bring word to you, personally. You fell right into my trap, you’re a monster. I couldn’t reach you in Lau Tier, but you made the mistake of stepping into my world. Halfroad is mine, and as much as I would like to see your corpse swing from Lau Tier’s gates as a warning for your entire miserable clan to stay away, I know they might use that as an excuse to turn you into a Lich.” He sobbed and moaned but couldn’t form words. Fortunately, his fall earlier had shattered his jaw. Not that she was terribly interested in what he had to say. She glanced back over her shoulder to Kal, then unfurled her single wing obstructing his view. A soft glow enshrouded Elaine and snaked down her arm. Kaspen squirmed and tried with all his might to get away, but she held him fast. Reciting rites as the glow crossed the threshold where her fingers contacted Kaspen, he began to writhe and squirm. The whole of his body was soon engulfed in it, and a white-hot light born from the azure flame that spread across his form burned so bright that Kal had to look away even with the obstruction of her wing in the way. When she stood, where Kaspen had once sat there was nothing but a pile of ash and his clothing. There were no residual burn marks, nothing else had gone alight. He was simply gone. She picked up his purse, which contained the money he intended to use to purchase Ashlynn.
Elaine turned on Percival then. The man nearly fainted, as did the two guards. “Lord Gant” She said flatly as she pulled up a chair. She turned it around, straddling it, folding her single wing in against her back then motioned for the two guards to sit. They did as they were bid, albeit a bit loudly as their armor scraped against the benches causing them to creak a little beneath their weight. “I knew your father. He was an honorable man. I’m sure if he’s watching from his place at our departed Patriarch’s side, he’s sick at the rot that’s festered in your core. That you would do this in my city, invite this filth to my home? How dare you?” She glared, her voice raising several octaves as she spoke. Percival tried to shrink further into the bench. She sighed. “Still, today will see you with the chance to turn over a new leaf.” She tossed him the satchel of coin she’d retrieved from Kaspen. Despite his shaking hands he caught it, fidgeting nervously he waited for her to nod before he tried opening it. “You are banished from Halfroad. Your property is now mine.” She motioned to the satchel of coin. “That is payment for what I estimate the value of your property to be.” She smiled. “The grounds were in such a state of disrepair, not to mention the state of the manor house as I passed through on my way to meet with you.” In truth the plantation’s manor hadn’t been in nearly as bad shape as the rest of the grounds. That is, until her men had ransacked it during the fighting on their way in. He couldn’t argue though. “You will take that coin, and you will make a new life for yourself somewhere else. Anywhere else. Just not here. I don’t care where you go, or by which means you arrive there, but if you should ever return to Halfroad know that your life is forfeit. You have until sundown today to gather your personal effects, and you will depart before dawn tomorrow. You will take these two men with you and return them to Lau Tier.” Percival began to get to his feet. “Oh, and one more thing?” He stopped. “As you depart my domain there are three taverns. You will stop at each of them, speak to your crimes, and of my magnanimous nature.” She turned to the guards. “You are to accompany this man as far as Lau Tier. I will have a writ placing you under my protection prepared. Gather your master’s remains and bring them to his family. If they, or anyone in their service, should darken the gates of my city from now until the day I am interred, know that all the defenses Lau Tier can muster will not stop me from bringing a fight to their door.” Percival and the guards nodded and nearly trampled each other in their rush to be anywhere but in that hall.
Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: This is the ideal life.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain