Now Terroma's gonna think Ellena's dead. You tricked us, Liquid! That ain't fair!
Muahahaha, it seems my dastardly plan to trick you… more all has succeeded In all seriousness though, it's true, Terroma is going to think that Ellena is dead now, which is going to have huge consequences. This could have been avoided if Rachel would have survived, or if Ellena would have never tried to run away from Noelle (therefore never encountering Otis). And certainly, this is going to be a very important detail.
In that case, she would have returned to the house together with Terroma a few hours later. By then, the fire would have completely consumed the house, although Raenna and Terroma would have still spotted the charred bones of Rachel, who by then would have been completely unrecognizable. In his current stressed state, Terroma would have come to the conclusion that these are actually Ellena's bones, therefore creating the same misunderstanding. However, the main difference would have been that Raenna herself would have remained unconvinced of Ellena's death, rightfully pointing out that there is no hard evidence for Terroma's theory. This in turn would have changed something in the chapter finale, which I will explain in more detail when the alternative choices are up.
Hey, guys! It's Wildling here with another bunch of illustrations So, couple last times I've been doing drawings of characters that were already drawn by foxbrg earlier, and I have some of those again, but I also have two characters that have not been drawn before And the voting of the part is still open when I post this, so scroll up if you haven't read the Raenna and Edrick parts yet^
I don't think you have gotten any of the characters wrong so far. This is just amazing. I keep being shocked by how great they are but to be honest your quality has never suggested anything less.
Hey, guys! It's Wildling here with another bunch of illustrations So, couple last times I've been doing drawings of characters that were al… moreready drawn by foxbrg earlier, and I have some of those again, but I also have two characters that have not been drawn before And the voting of the part is still open when I post this, so scroll up if you haven't read the Raenna and Edrick parts yet^
Another great part! Once again, this choice took longer than it should have for me. Leo has a point that bringing an extra person may lead to bad things, but Darko really wants to go and he seems like he could help greatly. Plus, I'd like to know him more. Therefore I vote for
Raenna
The closer Raenna came to the fire, the thicker the smoke got. By now, it already stung in her eyes, though a quick glance to Abba… mores and Brandon proved to her that they had it a lot worse. The Ghiscari unsuccessfully tried to shield his eyes with one hand, while the Northerner stoically moved forwards, though his eyes were obviously irritated and reddened.
On top of that, there was the smell. The wind blew into their direction and as soon as Raenna was able to see the brightly burning building, a small, rundown house apparently, she also noticed the stench. While neither smoke nor heat particularly bothered her, the smell was enough to make her stomach turn. She knew the stench of burning flesh and it caused her to fasten her steps, as much as she would have preferred to stay away from it.
“Are those... burning bodies?”, Abbas asked, obviously having noticed the smell as well. “That is... gods, that smell if fucking sick!” Bran… [view original content]
Hey, guys! It's Wildling here with another bunch of illustrations So, couple last times I've been doing drawings of characters that were al… moreready drawn by foxbrg earlier, and I have some of those again, but I also have two characters that have not been drawn before And the voting of the part is still open when I post this, so scroll up if you haven't read the Raenna and Edrick parts yet^
As always, these drawings are awesome! I was very excited for this particular set and you certainly nailed them They are all perfect, in some cases even better than imagined. Surprisingly, one drawing I like in particular is Otis. I loathe his character and that was one of the main reason I killed him off so early, but I did not expect to find myself enjoying your version of him. He's creepy, unsettling, somewhat pathetic and that is perfect! Actually, he gives me a slight Gollum vibe XD Terroma is also epic, I love those colourful clothes he's wearing and I think he might even be my favourite from this set. Your versions of Noelle and Marak are also very nice. I think you certainly managed to show a different side of Marak there, this more jovial side of him, while I like Noelle's facial expression a lot. And then there is Brandon, whom I am very happy about. He looks a bit shady indeed, but it suits him. All in all, these drawings made me even more excited for the chapter finale, where all of them (aside from Otis of course), are going to play an important role.
Hey, guys! It's Wildling here with another bunch of illustrations So, couple last times I've been doing drawings of characters that were al… moreready drawn by foxbrg earlier, and I have some of those again, but I also have two characters that have not been drawn before And the voting of the part is still open when I post this, so scroll up if you haven't read the Raenna and Edrick parts yet^
Thanks for the compliments again! And whilst I think it's clear that I have improved over the time (partly because of getting the drawing tablet), I can also say that Liquid giving very clear descriptions has always been a big factor on getting the illustrations right.
And aside from being slightly stressed over some uni assignments my week has been just fine How 'bout you?
WHY ARE THEY ALWAYS SO GOOOD?!!
I don't think you have gotten any of the characters wrong so far. This is just amazing. I keep being shoc… moreked by how great they are but to be honest your quality has never suggested anything less.
Anyway how did the week go for you man?
Hey, guys! It's Wildling here with another bunch of illustrations So, couple last times I've been doing drawings of characters that were al… moreready drawn by foxbrg earlier, and I have some of those again, but I also have two characters that have not been drawn before And the voting of the part is still open when I post this, so scroll up if you haven't read the Raenna and Edrick parts yet^
Thanks for the compliments again! And whilst I think it's clear that I have improved over the time (partly because of getting the drawing t… moreablet), I can also say that Liquid giving very clear descriptions has always been a big factor on getting the illustrations right.
And aside from being slightly stressed over some uni assignments my week has been just fine How 'bout you?
Raenna
The closer Raenna came to the fire, the thicker the smoke got. By now, it already stung in her eyes, though a quick glance to Abba… mores and Brandon proved to her that they had it a lot worse. The Ghiscari unsuccessfully tried to shield his eyes with one hand, while the Northerner stoically moved forwards, though his eyes were obviously irritated and reddened.
On top of that, there was the smell. The wind blew into their direction and as soon as Raenna was able to see the brightly burning building, a small, rundown house apparently, she also noticed the stench. While neither smoke nor heat particularly bothered her, the smell was enough to make her stomach turn. She knew the stench of burning flesh and it caused her to fasten her steps, as much as she would have preferred to stay away from it.
“Are those... burning bodies?”, Abbas asked, obviously having noticed the smell as well. “That is... gods, that smell if fucking sick!” Bran… [view original content]
This was a close voting and I'm going to close it now before we get a tie. It was also an important vote, as it will decide where Darko is going to be for the future. He would have had important roles in both cases, though leaving him would have meant that he wouldn't have appeared in a while, likely until mid-Book 2. I can't really say which option I would have preferred, as both will be fun to write. Arguably, taking him will allow me to develop him quicker than otherwise and it will take his development into a slightly different direction. Though both outcomes would have offered me intriguing and entertaining ways to work with his character, so I am absolutely neutral here.
The next part is going to be out today for sure. It was originally meant to be out yesterday, but something came up on Thursday and on Friday which severely limited my writing time. This is kind of annoying to me, because of how motivated I am and because of how much I want to finish this chapter. Actually, I still plan to finish it on Monday, which means the next voting won't be open for long. Anyways, the next part will include three PoV's, namely Marak, Drent and Ilish. I have already written Drent's PoV, which is going to be the majority of the next part, I am currently writing a short part for Marak, setting up some important events for the chapter finale, and Ilish's PoV shouldn't be too long, although it will contain an important choice. All three of them had parts very recently, so I'll keep the recap very short, to resume writing as quick as possible:
The last time we saw Drent, he confronted Ian Shortwood, who semi-confirmed Emphryus' suspicions against him, but who simply knocked Drent down instead of killing him, which he could have easily done as well. Since Montclair is highly concerned that Shortwood is a safety concern, he sent Drent to inform Argella, while he himself took the easier task of informing Emphryus.
Meanwhile, Marak found out about Otis' horrifying secret when he stumbled upon his basement full of dead children. He received an arm wound, though that did not stop him from brutally beating Otis, before breaking his neck. Afterwards, Marak and Noelle took Ellena with them and they set the house on fire as they left, to give the dead a proper burial according to Noelle's religion.
Finally, Ilish was last seen investigating the stables of the tavern with her group, as they suspected Kreep to be in there. While climbing an old ladder up to the hayloft, it gave in under the combined weight of Ilish and Philip, sending the latter down to the ground and the former to cling to the hayloft. As she pulled herself up, she saw something weird up there, namely a large dog. It did not seem aggressive, so Ilish decided to approach it, to get a hint at whom it might belong to.
And now, I have another shout-out for you, the last in this chapter. A while ago, I decided to give a shout-out to one of my favourite stories here (Monument) even though it had started a while ago and this time, I have decided to do the same with another long-running favourite of mine, in the hopes to repeat the earlier success. This is one of my big favourites, a story I absolutely love to read. The story is named A New Life and it is written by @Partition, whom you know as a regular reader here. His story is set in the Walking Dead universe and follows the life of a man named Tony, who struggles to survive during the zombie apocalypse. From the day it has started, over one and a half years ago, the story has quickly developed into one of my absolute favourites on here, which is not surprising, because it has everything I love in a story. I know there is quite a lot to catch up on, but if you are interested, then you should absolutely check it out, because it is fantastic!
Aside from Partition's amazing and enjoyable writing style, the story features an engaging storyline, with a large, likeable cast of characters and unexpected twists that regular keep me on the edge of my seat. It is going strong, with regular updates and Partition certainly is a motivated writer, who has plenty of ideas for the future. That said, I feel like more readers would make things even better, because I can testify, they always do. That means, I hope that some of you will decide to follow my recommendation here. Trust me when I say, if you are interested in a seriously well-written story set in the TWD universe, then you will like this one a lot! Now is actually a great time to catch up, because Partition is in the process of starting what is planned to be the longest chapter of his story so far, which makes it a great point for a new reader to join. Coincidentally, it is going to be Chapter 8, just like the next, soon-to-be-started FoT chapter. If I succeeded in making you interested in the story, go and check it out here! Hope to see some of you around there soon
The Voting is closed!
Edrick is going to take Darko with him
This was a close voting and I'm going to close it now before we get a tie… more. It was also an important vote, as it will decide where Darko is going to be for the future. He would have had important roles in both cases, though leaving him would have meant that he wouldn't have appeared in a while, likely until mid-Book 2. I can't really say which option I would have preferred, as both will be fun to write. Arguably, taking him will allow me to develop him quicker than otherwise and it will take his development into a slightly different direction. Though both outcomes would have offered me intriguing and entertaining ways to work with his character, so I am absolutely neutral here.
The next part is going to be out today for sure. It was originally meant to be out yesterday, but something came up on Thursday and on Friday which severely limited my writing time. This is kind of an… [view original content]
You are absolutely right! This was... uh, a test! Yes, I was just planning to test you and congratulations, you passed. I certainly haven't miscounted the votes or anything like that, because that would be totally embarrassing. Oh god, I have totally miscounted the votes Contrary to what I have said above, Edrick is going to leave Darko behind!
You are absolutely right! This was... uh, a test! Yes, I was just planning to test you and congratulations, you passed. I certainly haven't … moremiscounted the votes or anything like that, because that would be totally embarrassing. Oh god, I have totally miscounted the votes Contrary to what I have said above, Edrick is going to leave Darko behind!
You are absolutely right! This was... uh, a test! Yes, I was just planning to test you and congratulations, you passed. I certainly haven't … moremiscounted the votes or anything like that, because that would be totally embarrassing. Oh god, I have totally miscounted the votes Contrary to what I have said above, Edrick is going to leave Darko behind!
Of course is fine. It's 100% fine. We all are humans after all. Liquid does great job coordinating his story, together with writing it on regular bases. Meanwhile doing wiki, keeping summary for new and old readers. In same having time for following stories of the others, together with keeping in touch with pepole around in long private chats... not to mention personal life. I have quite a respect for him for time management. Such mistake is really nothing in my opinion. :-)
You are absolutely right! This was... uh, a test! Yes, I was just planning to test you and congratulations, you passed. I certainly haven't … moremiscounted the votes or anything like that, because that would be totally embarrassing. Oh god, I have totally miscounted the votes Contrary to what I have said above, Edrick is going to leave Darko behind!
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it was only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a sigh.
Edonia chuckled dryly. “Ouch”, she remarked. “That's a thing I don't envy you for. She's not in the best mood right now” This caused Drent to raise an eyebrow. “Anything happened?”, he asked and she gave him a nod. “A lot. I mean, I don't know all of the details, but somehow, it turned out King Argilac's claim on Raylansfair has been faked, by none other than Lady Tariel”
Drent needed a moment to swallow that information. “Whoa...”, he said tonelessly, focussing on the door for a moment, before he pulled himself back together and looked back at Edonia. “Is she...?”, he asked, though Edonai shook her head. “She's kept in her room until Argella decides what to do with her”, she informed him. “But this is not going to be pretty. The princess is livid”
A frown formed on Drent's face. “Great”, he said sarcastically. “Then I better go and tell her even more bad news. I swear, Montclair owes me for that one” A smile formed on his face. “But hey, at least we're going to be home again soon”
Edonia reciprocated his expression. “Yeah, that's the spirit”, she said, though as he tried to step past him, her smile faded and she momentarily touched his shoulder. “That mission you made, you say there have been unpleasant developments. Is... is Torrence okay?”
“He is”, Drent informed her quickly. “He got into a fight, but aside from a few bruises, he's fine” Edonia sighed with visible relief. “Good! This is... good”, she mumbled. “I know he can be an ass, but well, he is my brother. You don't get to choose your family. If anything would happen to him...”
“Yeah, I understand”, Drent said softly. “But he is fine. I, uh, kept an eye on him” Edonia smiled sweetly. “Thank you”, she said and cleared her throat, before she stepped aside. “Well then... better don't keep the princess waiting. She's really not in a good mood” Drent sighed, as he approached the door. “You're damn reassuring, you know that?”, he groaned, as he knocked onto the thick wood.
“Who is it?”, Argella's voice sounded quietly. Drent took a deep breath. “Drent Golton”, he answered, before he hesitated. “Sergeant Montclair sent me and...” He did not manage to continue, before she cut him off. “One moment!”, she said loudly through the door.
Drent and Edonia exchanged a quick glance and the woman raised an eyebrow. “Alright, come in!”, Argella said and now, a smirk formed on Edonia's face. She shrugged, before she turned back to her post, watching the corridor. Drent took another deep breath, before he opened the door and entered the room behind.
Argella's room here in Raylansfair was gorgeous. Drent had never been to the rooms of a noblewoman and he had no doubt that her quarters in Storm's End were even better, but still, he was amazed by this luxury. Dark wood clad the floor and walls, allowing the light that shined through the large window to put special emphasis on the beaten gold that painted flowers onto the walls. The bed was thrice as large as the one Drent was used to in the barracks of Storm's End. On top of that, it was a canopy bed, something he hadn't even seen before. Two wardrobes stood on opposite ends of the room, between them a large dressing table.
The princess herself stood next to a table near the window, a hand on the chair. Clad in blue silk that perfectly contrasted with her hair, Drent undoubtedly found her even more gorgeous than the room. Two eyes focussed on Drent, dark as the ocean on the horizon that was visible through the window. “I was not expecting you”, she said firmly and Drent noticed immediately that something was bothering her.
Before he said a word, he took a deep bow. “Apologies for disturbing your rest, my princess”, he said politely. “Sergeant Montclair sent me to inform you about what happened today” She sighed. “There was even more?”, she asked. “I know about the incident when Montclair and Tariel were sent to give our rations to the poor, so please tell me that's what you wish to inform me about”
Drent shook his head. “Unfortunately not”, he answered. “There have been further complications” Argella rolled her eyes. “Wonderful”, she said, before she chuckled slightly. “Actually, that works well with something I wanted to do either way” She moved away from the chair and approached a nearby cupboard. “You see, I was going to call for you either way”
“You were?”, Drent asked. “What for?” She glanced over her shoulder, before she opened the cupboard. “To apologize”, she answered sternly, before she sighed. “Listen, this is not easy for me, so just bear with me, alright?” She reached into the cupboard and pulled a bottle out, made out of thick, elegant glass and filled with a golden liquid. She put it onto the table, followed by two crystal glasses.
With a serious look on her face, she turned back to Drent. “I have been unfair”, she answered. “A few weeks ago, when we made camp at that tower. You remember it?” Drent gave her a nod. “I don't think you have been unfair, my princess”, he insisted, though she shook her head. “I was angry, upset that you ever thought I would harm Torrence for such a trifle”, she answered. “And I think I let that show a bit too much”
It was true what she said, during the past weeks of their journey, Argella had been extraordinarily cold towards him. He had felt her anger and knew that it was one of the reasons he was even stuck with two undesirable tasks today. The regret on her face was as genuine as it was surprising. “There's nothing to apologize to”, he assured her, though she simply pulled back one of the chairs next to the table and pointed at it.
“Sit down”, she ordered him. “Maybe you don't feel like it meant much, but I feel honestly bad over it, so please, have this drink with me” Drent followed her order and she sat down on the chair next to him, as she reached for the bottle. “On the positive side, whatever bad news you have to share with me will be more bearable with this here”
“What is it?”, Drent asked, as he grew bold enough to smile at her. “A gift”, she answered. “Perhaps the only bottle of Arbor Gold in this entire city” Drent raised an eyebrow. “This is... my princess, I have never even seen a bottle of Arbor Gold before”, he gasped.
Not, she reciprocated his smile. “I know”, she answered. “You told me back in the tower, remember? I was shocked by this and took it upon myself to change it” As she spoke, she opened the bottle and filled the glasses. “Finding it has been quite the task. Luckily, I had the best knight in the Reach assigned to it”
This caused Drent to chuckle. “Does it mean it tastes better?”, he asked and Argella rolled her eyes. “Don't be ridiculous, it already is the best wine this side of Qarth”, she said. “Go on, try it” On her urging, Drent move the glass to his lips and his eyes widened after he took the first sip. It was the sweetest taste he ever had, like a thousand fresh fruits at once. Drent didn't know much about wines, but he had no doubt that this was the best he ever had, no, the best in the world.
“Better close your mouth, right now you look slightly imbecile”, Argella remarked with a pleased smile. Drent immediately closed his mouth, though his smile remained. “Good?”, the princess asked and he gave her a nod. “Very good”, he confirmed and her smile widened. “Splendid”, she said and delicately drank from her glass.
“And you're drinking that all the time?”, Drent asked, as he took another sip. She gave him a nod. Well, basically”, she answered. “It's not all we drink, thank the gods, but Father has quite a well-stocked cellar back at Storm's End” She sipped from her wine, before her expression darkened. “Now, I believe there was something you wish to tell me”
Drent sighed. “Nothing good, I'm afraid. Shortly after arriving at the castle again, Ser Emphryus has sent us out again, me, Sergeant Montclair and Torrence Bernile”, he said and noticed that Argella narrowed her eyes at the last name. “We've been sent to investigate a certain Ian Shortwood. Have you ever heard of the man?”
Argella shook her head. “Can't say I have”, she replied. “Why, has he said anything mean? Should I feel hurt?” Drent took a gulp from his glass and she did the same. “God, that's strong...”, he mumbled and she raised an eyebrow. “You know nothing”, she chuckled. “So, about this Shortwood...”
“Truth be told, we don't know if he is dangerous”, Drent answered. “He apparently has a grudge against Stormlanders, so Montclair considers him a threat. But I don't share this view. He had me at sword's point, but spared my life”
The princess frowned. “He had what?”, she snarled. “I confronted him. Left him little choice, to be fair”, Drent was quick to explain and it seems to calm her down again. “I think he just wants to be left alone, but Montclair has a different opinion. He told me to warn you, just in case”
“Montclair worries too much”, Argella said, as she filled both of their glasses again. “But if he's right, then that's just great and with that, I mean that it is not great at all. Another thing to add to the complete failure that is this day” Drent took a deep gulp from the glass and noticed how warm it had gotten. He also noticed how close she sat to him.
“You know, it hasn't been a complete failure”, he said. “At least this evening is nice. The wine, I mean” This caused her to laugh. “We've travelled two hundred miles for nothing. I think even the nicest wine is a lousy compensation”
This comment caused Drent to give her a curious look. “About that... I've heard the basics from Edonia. Is it true that Lady Tariel lied to us?” Argella's smile faded. “I think so”, she confirmed. “Although there must be something else at play here. I... have my suspicions, but before acting on them, I have to consult with my father” She sighed. “Anyways, do you mind if I don't want to speak about it?”
“It's okay”, Drent said. “Though does that mean that we will return home?” Now, she gave him a nod. “Soon. I won't leave like Hobert, but I will leave”, she said. “The Lord of Mander's Mouth already ran away like a beaten dog. I have no intention of following his undignified example.” A smile flashed over her face. “Although the wine is nice indeed”
“I believe it's the company that makes it truly exquisite”, Drent said with a smile, as he momentarily allowed himself to admire her beauty. By now, it had gotten even warmer, which Drent fully blamed the alcohol for. Regardless, he took a deep gulp, emptying his glass once again. She raised her eyebrows. “Seven Heavens, you're getting drunken way too fast for a soldier”, she said in a mocking tone. “And you're getting bolder the more you drink”
“I've been told that my boldness makes me more pleasant”, Drent answered and Argella laughed. He was not sure if she was laughing at him, though she at least seemed amused. “Speak for yourself”, she answered in a good-natured tone. “I'm just here for the wine. And because that's my room of course and I don't know where else I could go” She glanced at his empty glass. “Come on, have another one”
“Are you trying to make drunk?”, Drent asked and Argella laughed. “If I'd try to make you drunk, I surely wouldn't use Arbor Gold for it. Judging by your behaviour, a glass of milk would suffice for that”, she answered. “I just want an excuse to empty the bottle. Really need a drink after today but it is unseemly of a princess to drink alone”
Drent smirked. “Well, say what you want, but I do enjoy the company as much as the wine”, he said. Argella laughed, a bright, pretty laugh. “I wouldn't have expected anything else from you”, she remarked. “That said, I believe the company could be worse. At least you're not Garen” This caused both to laugh and a bold thought, fuelled by too much strong wine, formed in Drent's mind. Perhaps it would be time to take this to the next level. Nothing too straightforward, just a bit of physical contact for a start. Spotting her bare shoulder, perhaps he could start with a classic...
[Put your arm arou-
She caught the expression on his face and momentarily sent a fierce glare towards him. “Don't you dare even thinking about it”, she warned him, though she smiled as she spoke.
No Choices for this part
Marak
Marak did not know what Noelle had done, but the sharp pain in his arm had died down to a slightly uncomfortable thumping. She had seared the wound shut, which had been enough pain for him to almost knock her out with an accidental punch. But afterwards, she had put some sort of herbs and ointments onto it, a strangely smelling, dark paste she had carried with her. Whatever it was, it helped.
Right now, Marak was left alone with a gruesome task. They had arrived at their meeting spot only a few minutes ago, though according to Noelle, they hadn't much time until their guests would arrive. Under other circumstances, Marak would question her current order, but he was not in the mood for a discussion. Killing Otis had given him no satisfaction. The man was dead, a messy, painful death, yet still better than he deserved and certainly better than all of his victims got.
The place he was at, the spot Noelle planned to confront this old man at, was a soft hill at the edge of the forest, which ended suddenly and sharply as a cliff, a good twenty feet above the small river that crossed Raylan's lands. It was devoid of trees, though the forest still surrounded it thickly from three sides. Not quite the spot Marak would have chosen to confront dangerous people, but Noelle has made herself very clear. Or, not clear at all, which was typical of her.
Shortly after arriving at the spot, a few minutes ago, Noelle had taken the girl to the forest again, for whatever reason. Ellena had been half-conscious again, though still too dizzy to resist in any way. Marak was almost glad he hadn't killed her on the spot with his punch, though from the stunned look in her eyes, he had come dangerously close.
With a grunt, he lifted up the heavy pole. It was the first time he actually built a pyre and usually, he'd question the wisdom of building it right before confronting these dangerous people, but once again, Noelle had been adamant. To make things worse, he had no idea if he did things correctly, but he managed to push the pole deeply into the ground and that was what counted.
As he turned around, he saw Noelle leaving the forest, alone this time. It creeped him out how she made no noise, even while walking through the thick underbrush that surrounded them. Almost like a ghost, she came closer and Marak gulped, though the look in her eyes was warm. “Good”, she said. “You're making good progress”
“Where's the girl?”, Marak asked immediately and Noelle glanced towards the trees. “I hid her in the forest”, she answered. This caused Marak to tense up. “You left her alone in the forest?”, he asked. “You know there's wolves in there, don't you?”
The priestess shrugged. “They won't harm her. I have seen it in the flames”, she explained and Marak sighed. “If they do, don't say I haven't warned you”, he muttered. “Why are you doing this anyway? Hiding the girl, I mean”
“Because the Old Man mustn't see her”, she explained. “If he does, then what's going to stop her from just taking her?” Proudly, Marak put a hand onto his chest. “I think that's why you've even hired me”, he answered. This time, Noelle only shook her head. “You can't win against all of them”, she answered. “So we must be clever. If he doesn't see her, he won't attack until he knows where she is. I force him to bargain”
She knelt down next to the fire and it reflected in her eyes, giving her an expression that Marak feared. “And if that doesn't work, I'm going to kill him, right?”, he asked. She shook her head. “It will work”, she said, without looking away from the flames. “It will work, because it's the will of the lord” Marak smirked. “And what does your rollmop demand next?”, he asked. Without reacting to his slight provocation, Noelle glanced at him. “Now, we will wait”, she said.
No Choices for this part
Ilish
Though she felt slight nervousness, Ilish took a step towards the dog. It looked at her, out of dark brown eyes and she could swear its short tail waggled slightly. “I... I think I'll approach it”, Ilish said, before she took another step towards it.
“Ilish, don't do anything stupid!”, the voice of Torold sounded. “Something's not right there, stay in sight, we'll find a way to get you down!” She heard him shuffling below. “Jarow, try to find another ladder! Taenora, I need your help with Philip”
“I'm fine...”, the voice of Philip sounded, still in a lot of pain. “I... I don't think my leg is broken. Still hurts like hell” He groaned. “You stay where you are”, Torold said. “And you as well, Ilish. You hear me? Ilish?”
By now, she had reached the dog, who was standing now. Carefully, she extended a hand, allowing it to take her scent. The dog raised its head and sniffled at her fingers, before it visibly started waggling its tail. Ilish smiled in relief at that, as she noticed that the dog looked quite friendly and glad to see her. However, she also noticed how well-cared for it was. Its fur was clean, freshly brushed and it looked healthy.
“Good boy”, she said, as she gently petted its head and moved her hand over the fur on its shoulder. The dog panted and came closer. “Yes, that's a good boy”, she said, smiling widely at the new friend she had just made. “Where's your owner?”
And just then, she noticed movement in the shadows between the wall and the crates to her left. She froze and just as she was about to scream for help, a figure jumped out of it, lean, of average height. Its face, no, its entire head was covered with a helmet, the front shaped like the face of a cat. And before she was able to make any sort of noise, this person had grabbed her and put a hand onto her mouth, causing her screams to get inaudibly muffled.
“Don't scream, don't scream”, the person said. It was a man, quite young, judging by the voice and she instantly realized that this was not Kreep. Of course, this was only a minor relief, as Kreep wasn't the only dangerous person in the city. “Please, don't panic”, the young man whispered in a quiet tone, as she tried to struggle, to break free from his surprisingly strong grip. “I don't know what you're doing in here, but I can assure you, I am not your enemy”, he swore. “My name is Ryler. Ryler Grimthorn”
“Ilish, what's going on?”, Torold yelled. “Is everything alright? Get away from that dog, it could be dangerous!” By now, Ilish had stopped struggling, though she was still afraid, her heart beating quickly. The stranger sighed underneath his helmet. “Please, tell him that everything is okay”, he urged her. “I don't want any trouble” With these words, he let go of her and she opened her mouth.
[Scream for help][Say that everything is okay][Stay silent]
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it … morewas only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a s… [view original content]
[Scream for help]I really want to say that Snitches get Stitches but I want to screw over mister Cat Man because dogs obviously hate cats so the cute little dog will save us. Also I just don't think it is a good idea to trust someone we just met. Maybe we can get the jump on him and interrogate him.
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it … morewas only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a s… [view original content]
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it … morewas only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a s… [view original content]
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it … morewas only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a s… [view original content]
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it … morewas only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a s… [view original content]
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it … morewas only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a s… [view original content]
Wouldn't they be more worried then? If you stay silent they are filled with worry and fear for Illish, but if you yell for help then they are filled with rage and passion to help Illish. Don't see much of a reason to stay silent.
Fuck that! The punk jumps someone, covers their mouth and says he doesn't want any trouble? No.... I refuse!
Well, I'm not sure if I made it clear, but the reason he jumped at Ilish and covered her mouth was exactly because he didn't want her to scream. He knew she would have screamed out of reflex if she would have seen him there.
Liquid how could you tease me like that with Drent's part. No choice for this part. Jokes aside, it was very amusing.
Hehe, I'm glad you found it amusing I originally had the idea to include a choice there, but I quickly realized that Argella wouldn't allow any of Drent's advances. That said, she obviously cares about him in some capacity, as she went out of her way to get him a bottle of Arbor Gold and even remembered that he never drank one before, back when they spoke in Chapter 5. It doesn't necessarily have to be a romantic interest, but she's clearly not indifferent about him.
Marak's parts always make me feel so uncomfortable now. I feel like I'm reading the antagonist's pov.
I think I agree. Marak is certainly is the most antagonistic of the PoV's and an outright villain for Raenna's and Ellena's storyline, even though he technicaly isn't more than a henchman for Noelle, who is the real villain here. I have hoped to show some of his more likeable qualities, for example by his clear disgust for Otis, who is undoubtedly far worse, or by his behaviour in the earlier chapters, but he has a very nasty side that comes out in the current situation. I'd say his utter lack of remorse for any bad thing he ever did is one of his worst traits, but in a different situation, he could have even been on the same side as the good guys.
[Scream for help] Fuck that! The punk jumps someone, covers their mouth and says he doesn't want any trouble? No.... I refuse!
Liquid how… more could you tease me like that with Drent's part. No choice for this part. Jokes aside, it was very amusing.
Marak's parts always make me feel so uncomfortable now. I feel like I'm reading the antagonist's pov.
Nice! Three parts in one Lol, that almost-choice-but-not-really at the end of Drent's part was hilarious XD And the hype for Old Man vs. Noelle keeps building.
[Stay silent] So far we've only had bad examples of weirdos in cat masks in this story, and it wouldn't really be unexpected that one of the alley cats would be in Raylansfair. And jumping on Ilish and covering her mouth certainly doesn't give the best first impression of this Ryler guy. However, if he indeed is an alley cat, he wouldn't hesitate killing a random girl who starts screaming for help. So, I'm going with the neutral choice.
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it … morewas only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a s… [view original content]
[Scream for help]I really want to say that Snitches get Stitches but I want to screw over mister Cat Man because dogs obviously hate cats so… more the cute little dog will save us. Also I just don't think it is a good idea to trust someone we just met. Maybe we can get the jump on him and interrogate him.
Well, if she starts to scream I don't see why this cat shouldn't cut her throat immediately. At least while staying silent she does not pretend to be okay.
Wouldn't they be more worried then? If you stay silent they are filled with worry and fear for Illish, but if you yell for help then they are filled with rage and passion to help Illish. Don't see much of a reason to stay silent.
I don't think Liquid would kill off Illish to some cat dude they just introduced. Also I don't think Illish would be killed immediately. She would probably put up a fight long enough for Torold and Jarow to get up and save her. And that way we could get him as a prisoner and question him about what he is doing with that adorable dog of his.
Well, if she starts to scream I don't see why this cat shouldn't cut her throat immediately. At least while staying silent she does not pretend to be okay.
Could be, but this choice is mine and I don't think it will win anyway, so you don't need to worry. Cutting her throat was of course just random example as well. I see this more safer choice for her than screaming.
I don't think Liquid would kill off Illish to some cat dude they just introduced. Also I don't think Illish would be killed immediately. She… more would probably put up a fight long enough for Torold and Jarow to get up and save her. And that way we could get him as a prisoner and question him about what he is doing with that adorable dog of his.
So while I don't think Ryler would hurt Ilish if she screamed, might as well do this. Killing her would cause a lot of trouble, when he would be better just running away. This guy is probably bad news though, cat masks aren't good.
“Finding it has been quite the task. Luckily, I had the best knight in the Reach assigned to it”
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it … morewas only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a s… [view original content]
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it … morewas only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a s… [view original content]
Could be, but this choice is mine and I don't think it will win anyway, so you don't need to worry. Cutting her throat was of course just random example as well. I see this more safer choice for her than screaming.
After a long break I resume my read of this awesome story and it seems that many interesting events happened during my absence! And I shall write my own,and completly unnecessary,random thoughts about them!
RT:
Kersea survive her last PoV!This is an outcome that really surprise me!However I fully understand that probably only death can stop her to fulfill her new mission:kill Lucas Flowers (and Leonard is in danger too!Again!Hurray! ).
Otis show his true nature...a horror movie type of villain!I really like the confrontation between Marak and that psycopath.
Talking about confrontations the upcoming one between Marak and Terroma will be very cool..and awkward (you know..Noelle hide Ellena to convince Terroma to give her Briar but instead she will make The Old Man think for sure that the hostage was killed)
Meanwhile inside the Old Town plotline I like that we discovered not only the backstory of Harpy and the man that become The Burned Man but even a small glimpse of what the Alley Cats are plotting (and I'm even more curious to learn more of their backstory)!
I almost forget to add that Jaron and friends found The Burned Man!Too sad that they can only give him a mercy death but hey!Let's look it from the bright side,the now know that Mullendore is alive!
If I must continue the talk about the people that we discover alive I can't forget Wulvren! I'm really curious if he will succeed his new personal quest:be a councillor for Aegon
Ironborns attack during a Sadie's PoV!This is not an outcome that I've expected!
I like the small Lupin PoV that @TheFurryOne write,I really hope that he will continue to make them and end his own short story
About the last choice I decide:
[Say that everything is okay] This is a classic that I've seen inside so many movies!XD
PS2:Why the Telltale forum is still white?WHYYYYYY!?
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it … morewas only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a s… [view original content]
Comments
What if Raenna didn't investigate the smoke immediately?
In that case, she would have returned to the house together with Terroma a few hours later. By then, the fire would have completely consumed the house, although Raenna and Terroma would have still spotted the charred bones of Rachel, who by then would have been completely unrecognizable. In his current stressed state, Terroma would have come to the conclusion that these are actually Ellena's bones, therefore creating the same misunderstanding. However, the main difference would have been that Raenna herself would have remained unconvinced of Ellena's death, rightfully pointing out that there is no hard evidence for Terroma's theory. This in turn would have changed something in the chapter finale, which I will explain in more detail when the alternative choices are up.
This is my immature side coming out but I chuckled when I realized Forum of Thrones has 69 likes
Hey, guys! It's Wildling here with another bunch of illustrations
So, couple last times I've been doing drawings of characters that were already drawn by foxbrg earlier, and I have some of those again, but I also have two characters that have not been drawn before 
And the voting of the part is still open when I post this, so scroll up if you haven't read the Raenna and Edrick parts yet^
WHY ARE THEY ALWAYS SO GOOOD?!!
I don't think you have gotten any of the characters wrong so far. This is just amazing. I keep being shocked by how great they are but to be honest your quality has never suggested anything less.
Anyway how did the week go for you man?
Another great part! Once again, this choice took longer than it should have for me. Leo has a point that bringing an extra person may lead to bad things, but Darko really wants to go and he seems like he could help greatly. Plus, I'd like to know him more. Therefore I vote for
[Take Darko with you]
Always a fan of your drawings Wilding! Terroma's illustration has to be my favourite in this set.
As always, these drawings are awesome! I was very excited for this particular set and you certainly nailed them
They are all perfect, in some cases even better than imagined. Surprisingly, one drawing I like in particular is Otis. I loathe his character and that was one of the main reason I killed him off so early, but I did not expect to find myself enjoying your version of him. He's creepy, unsettling, somewhat pathetic and that is perfect! Actually, he gives me a slight Gollum vibe XD Terroma is also epic, I love those colourful clothes he's wearing and I think he might even be my favourite from this set. Your versions of Noelle and Marak are also very nice. I think you certainly managed to show a different side of Marak there, this more jovial side of him, while I like Noelle's facial expression a lot. And then there is Brandon, whom I am very happy about. He looks a bit shady indeed, but it suits him. All in all, these drawings made me even more excited for the chapter finale, where all of them (aside from Otis of course), are going to play an important role.
Thanks for the compliments again!
And whilst I think it's clear that I have improved over the time (partly because of getting the drawing tablet), I can also say that Liquid giving very clear descriptions has always been a big factor on getting the illustrations right.
And aside from being slightly stressed over some uni assignments my week has been just fine
How 'bout you?
Terroma is my fav
Uni is stressful indeed. But mostly I've been great. Recently I'm trying to finish another part for my story.
[Take Darko with you]
The Voting is closed!
Edrick is going to take Darko with him
This was a close voting and I'm going to close it now before we get a tie. It was also an important vote, as it will decide where Darko is going to be for the future. He would have had important roles in both cases, though leaving him would have meant that he wouldn't have appeared in a while, likely until mid-Book 2. I can't really say which option I would have preferred, as both will be fun to write. Arguably, taking him will allow me to develop him quicker than otherwise and it will take his development into a slightly different direction. Though both outcomes would have offered me intriguing and entertaining ways to work with his character, so I am absolutely neutral here.
The next part is going to be out today for sure. It was originally meant to be out yesterday, but something came up on Thursday and on Friday which severely limited my writing time. This is kind of annoying to me, because of how motivated I am and because of how much I want to finish this chapter. Actually, I still plan to finish it on Monday, which means the next voting won't be open for long. Anyways, the next part will include three PoV's, namely Marak, Drent and Ilish. I have already written Drent's PoV, which is going to be the majority of the next part, I am currently writing a short part for Marak, setting up some important events for the chapter finale, and Ilish's PoV shouldn't be too long, although it will contain an important choice. All three of them had parts very recently, so I'll keep the recap very short, to resume writing as quick as possible:
The last time we saw Drent, he confronted Ian Shortwood, who semi-confirmed Emphryus' suspicions against him, but who simply knocked Drent down instead of killing him, which he could have easily done as well. Since Montclair is highly concerned that Shortwood is a safety concern, he sent Drent to inform Argella, while he himself took the easier task of informing Emphryus.
Meanwhile, Marak found out about Otis' horrifying secret when he stumbled upon his basement full of dead children. He received an arm wound, though that did not stop him from brutally beating Otis, before breaking his neck. Afterwards, Marak and Noelle took Ellena with them and they set the house on fire as they left, to give the dead a proper burial according to Noelle's religion.
Finally, Ilish was last seen investigating the stables of the tavern with her group, as they suspected Kreep to be in there. While climbing an old ladder up to the hayloft, it gave in under the combined weight of Ilish and Philip, sending the latter down to the ground and the former to cling to the hayloft. As she pulled herself up, she saw something weird up there, namely a large dog. It did not seem aggressive, so Ilish decided to approach it, to get a hint at whom it might belong to.
And now, I have another shout-out for you, the last in this chapter. A while ago, I decided to give a shout-out to one of my favourite stories here (Monument) even though it had started a while ago and this time, I have decided to do the same with another long-running favourite of mine, in the hopes to repeat the earlier success. This is one of my big favourites, a story I absolutely love to read. The story is named A New Life and it is written by @Partition, whom you know as a regular reader here. His story is set in the Walking Dead universe and follows the life of a man named Tony, who struggles to survive during the zombie apocalypse. From the day it has started, over one and a half years ago, the story has quickly developed into one of my absolute favourites on here, which is not surprising, because it has everything I love in a story. I know there is quite a lot to catch up on, but if you are interested, then you should absolutely check it out, because it is fantastic!
Aside from Partition's amazing and enjoyable writing style, the story features an engaging storyline, with a large, likeable cast of characters and unexpected twists that regular keep me on the edge of my seat. It is going strong, with regular updates and Partition certainly is a motivated writer, who has plenty of ideas for the future. That said, I feel like more readers would make things even better, because I can testify, they always do. That means, I hope that some of you will decide to follow my recommendation here. Trust me when I say, if you are interested in a seriously well-written story set in the TWD universe, then you will like this one a lot! Now is actually a great time to catch up, because Partition is in the process of starting what is planned to be the longest chapter of his story so far, which makes it a great point for a new reader to join. Coincidentally, it is going to be Chapter 8, just like the next, soon-to-be-started FoT chapter. If I succeeded in making you interested in the story, go and check it out here! Hope to see some of you around there soon
I may be wrong but I think you miscounted the votes. I am pretty sure Leave Darko won.
You are absolutely right! This was... uh, a test! Yes, I was just planning to test you and congratulations, you passed. I certainly haven't miscounted the votes or anything like that, because that would be totally embarrassing. Oh god, I have totally miscounted the votes
Contrary to what I have said above, Edrick is going to leave Darko behind!
You have failed us all, Liquid!
Hey, pretty sure that's the first time that's happened, and for a story that's been going for almost 2 years, it's probably fine.
Of course is fine. It's 100% fine. We all are humans after all. Liquid does great job coordinating his story, together with writing it on regular bases. Meanwhile doing wiki, keeping summary for new and old readers. In same having time for following stories of the others, together with keeping in touch with pepole around in long private chats... not to mention personal life. I have quite a respect for him for time management. Such mistake is really nothing in my opinion. :-)
Drent
As he climbed the stairs that led up to the princess' room, Drent had to admit that he felt slightly nervous. Of course he did, it was only natural. Depending on Argella's mood, Montclair had given him either the most or the least desirable task at hand. Now it was up to him to tell her that a potentially dangerous hedge knight was loose in the city and that three of her men were unable to stop him.
As he turned around the corner and into the corridor, a familiar and pleasant sight awaited him. Edonia Bernile stood on guard duty, leaning against the wall, with a bored look on her face. One of her hands was resting on her bow, which was leaning next to her and as Drent stepped into the corridor, she quickly spotted him.
“Drent, hey”, she greeted him in a quiet tone, a thin smile on her face. “You're visiting the princess?” Drent gave her a quick nod. “Yeah. Got to inform her of some unpleasant developments”, he answered with a sigh.
Edonia chuckled dryly. “Ouch”, she remarked. “That's a thing I don't envy you for. She's not in the best mood right now” This caused Drent to raise an eyebrow. “Anything happened?”, he asked and she gave him a nod. “A lot. I mean, I don't know all of the details, but somehow, it turned out King Argilac's claim on Raylansfair has been faked, by none other than Lady Tariel”
Drent needed a moment to swallow that information. “Whoa...”, he said tonelessly, focussing on the door for a moment, before he pulled himself back together and looked back at Edonia. “Is she...?”, he asked, though Edonai shook her head. “She's kept in her room until Argella decides what to do with her”, she informed him. “But this is not going to be pretty. The princess is livid”
A frown formed on Drent's face. “Great”, he said sarcastically. “Then I better go and tell her even more bad news. I swear, Montclair owes me for that one” A smile formed on his face. “But hey, at least we're going to be home again soon”
Edonia reciprocated his expression. “Yeah, that's the spirit”, she said, though as he tried to step past him, her smile faded and she momentarily touched his shoulder. “That mission you made, you say there have been unpleasant developments. Is... is Torrence okay?”
“He is”, Drent informed her quickly. “He got into a fight, but aside from a few bruises, he's fine” Edonia sighed with visible relief. “Good! This is... good”, she mumbled. “I know he can be an ass, but well, he is my brother. You don't get to choose your family. If anything would happen to him...”
“Yeah, I understand”, Drent said softly. “But he is fine. I, uh, kept an eye on him” Edonia smiled sweetly. “Thank you”, she said and cleared her throat, before she stepped aside. “Well then... better don't keep the princess waiting. She's really not in a good mood” Drent sighed, as he approached the door. “You're damn reassuring, you know that?”, he groaned, as he knocked onto the thick wood.
“Who is it?”, Argella's voice sounded quietly. Drent took a deep breath. “Drent Golton”, he answered, before he hesitated. “Sergeant Montclair sent me and...” He did not manage to continue, before she cut him off. “One moment!”, she said loudly through the door.
Drent and Edonia exchanged a quick glance and the woman raised an eyebrow. “Alright, come in!”, Argella said and now, a smirk formed on Edonia's face. She shrugged, before she turned back to her post, watching the corridor. Drent took another deep breath, before he opened the door and entered the room behind.
Argella's room here in Raylansfair was gorgeous. Drent had never been to the rooms of a noblewoman and he had no doubt that her quarters in Storm's End were even better, but still, he was amazed by this luxury. Dark wood clad the floor and walls, allowing the light that shined through the large window to put special emphasis on the beaten gold that painted flowers onto the walls. The bed was thrice as large as the one Drent was used to in the barracks of Storm's End. On top of that, it was a canopy bed, something he hadn't even seen before. Two wardrobes stood on opposite ends of the room, between them a large dressing table.
The princess herself stood next to a table near the window, a hand on the chair. Clad in blue silk that perfectly contrasted with her hair, Drent undoubtedly found her even more gorgeous than the room. Two eyes focussed on Drent, dark as the ocean on the horizon that was visible through the window. “I was not expecting you”, she said firmly and Drent noticed immediately that something was bothering her.
Before he said a word, he took a deep bow. “Apologies for disturbing your rest, my princess”, he said politely. “Sergeant Montclair sent me to inform you about what happened today” She sighed. “There was even more?”, she asked. “I know about the incident when Montclair and Tariel were sent to give our rations to the poor, so please tell me that's what you wish to inform me about”
Drent shook his head. “Unfortunately not”, he answered. “There have been further complications” Argella rolled her eyes. “Wonderful”, she said, before she chuckled slightly. “Actually, that works well with something I wanted to do either way” She moved away from the chair and approached a nearby cupboard. “You see, I was going to call for you either way”
“You were?”, Drent asked. “What for?” She glanced over her shoulder, before she opened the cupboard. “To apologize”, she answered sternly, before she sighed. “Listen, this is not easy for me, so just bear with me, alright?” She reached into the cupboard and pulled a bottle out, made out of thick, elegant glass and filled with a golden liquid. She put it onto the table, followed by two crystal glasses.
With a serious look on her face, she turned back to Drent. “I have been unfair”, she answered. “A few weeks ago, when we made camp at that tower. You remember it?” Drent gave her a nod. “I don't think you have been unfair, my princess”, he insisted, though she shook her head. “I was angry, upset that you ever thought I would harm Torrence for such a trifle”, she answered. “And I think I let that show a bit too much”
It was true what she said, during the past weeks of their journey, Argella had been extraordinarily cold towards him. He had felt her anger and knew that it was one of the reasons he was even stuck with two undesirable tasks today. The regret on her face was as genuine as it was surprising. “There's nothing to apologize to”, he assured her, though she simply pulled back one of the chairs next to the table and pointed at it.
“Sit down”, she ordered him. “Maybe you don't feel like it meant much, but I feel honestly bad over it, so please, have this drink with me” Drent followed her order and she sat down on the chair next to him, as she reached for the bottle. “On the positive side, whatever bad news you have to share with me will be more bearable with this here”
“What is it?”, Drent asked, as he grew bold enough to smile at her. “A gift”, she answered. “Perhaps the only bottle of Arbor Gold in this entire city” Drent raised an eyebrow. “This is... my princess, I have never even seen a bottle of Arbor Gold before”, he gasped.
Not, she reciprocated his smile. “I know”, she answered. “You told me back in the tower, remember? I was shocked by this and took it upon myself to change it” As she spoke, she opened the bottle and filled the glasses. “Finding it has been quite the task. Luckily, I had the best knight in the Reach assigned to it”
This caused Drent to chuckle. “Does it mean it tastes better?”, he asked and Argella rolled her eyes. “Don't be ridiculous, it already is the best wine this side of Qarth”, she said. “Go on, try it” On her urging, Drent move the glass to his lips and his eyes widened after he took the first sip. It was the sweetest taste he ever had, like a thousand fresh fruits at once. Drent didn't know much about wines, but he had no doubt that this was the best he ever had, no, the best in the world.
“Better close your mouth, right now you look slightly imbecile”, Argella remarked with a pleased smile. Drent immediately closed his mouth, though his smile remained. “Good?”, the princess asked and he gave her a nod. “Very good”, he confirmed and her smile widened. “Splendid”, she said and delicately drank from her glass.
“And you're drinking that all the time?”, Drent asked, as he took another sip. She gave him a nod. Well, basically”, she answered. “It's not all we drink, thank the gods, but Father has quite a well-stocked cellar back at Storm's End” She sipped from her wine, before her expression darkened. “Now, I believe there was something you wish to tell me”
Drent sighed. “Nothing good, I'm afraid. Shortly after arriving at the castle again, Ser Emphryus has sent us out again, me, Sergeant Montclair and Torrence Bernile”, he said and noticed that Argella narrowed her eyes at the last name. “We've been sent to investigate a certain Ian Shortwood. Have you ever heard of the man?”
Argella shook her head. “Can't say I have”, she replied. “Why, has he said anything mean? Should I feel hurt?” Drent took a gulp from his glass and she did the same. “God, that's strong...”, he mumbled and she raised an eyebrow. “You know nothing”, she chuckled. “So, about this Shortwood...”
“Truth be told, we don't know if he is dangerous”, Drent answered. “He apparently has a grudge against Stormlanders, so Montclair considers him a threat. But I don't share this view. He had me at sword's point, but spared my life”
The princess frowned. “He had what?”, she snarled. “I confronted him. Left him little choice, to be fair”, Drent was quick to explain and it seems to calm her down again. “I think he just wants to be left alone, but Montclair has a different opinion. He told me to warn you, just in case”
“Montclair worries too much”, Argella said, as she filled both of their glasses again. “But if he's right, then that's just great and with that, I mean that it is not great at all. Another thing to add to the complete failure that is this day” Drent took a deep gulp from the glass and noticed how warm it had gotten. He also noticed how close she sat to him.
“You know, it hasn't been a complete failure”, he said. “At least this evening is nice. The wine, I mean” This caused her to laugh. “We've travelled two hundred miles for nothing. I think even the nicest wine is a lousy compensation”
This comment caused Drent to give her a curious look. “About that... I've heard the basics from Edonia. Is it true that Lady Tariel lied to us?” Argella's smile faded. “I think so”, she confirmed. “Although there must be something else at play here. I... have my suspicions, but before acting on them, I have to consult with my father” She sighed. “Anyways, do you mind if I don't want to speak about it?”
“It's okay”, Drent said. “Though does that mean that we will return home?” Now, she gave him a nod. “Soon. I won't leave like Hobert, but I will leave”, she said. “The Lord of Mander's Mouth already ran away like a beaten dog. I have no intention of following his undignified example.” A smile flashed over her face. “Although the wine is nice indeed”
“I believe it's the company that makes it truly exquisite”, Drent said with a smile, as he momentarily allowed himself to admire her beauty. By now, it had gotten even warmer, which Drent fully blamed the alcohol for. Regardless, he took a deep gulp, emptying his glass once again. She raised her eyebrows. “Seven Heavens, you're getting drunken way too fast for a soldier”, she said in a mocking tone. “And you're getting bolder the more you drink”
“I've been told that my boldness makes me more pleasant”, Drent answered and Argella laughed. He was not sure if she was laughing at him, though she at least seemed amused. “Speak for yourself”, she answered in a good-natured tone. “I'm just here for the wine. And because that's my room of course and I don't know where else I could go” She glanced at his empty glass. “Come on, have another one”
“Are you trying to make drunk?”, Drent asked and Argella laughed. “If I'd try to make you drunk, I surely wouldn't use Arbor Gold for it. Judging by your behaviour, a glass of milk would suffice for that”, she answered. “I just want an excuse to empty the bottle. Really need a drink after today but it is unseemly of a princess to drink alone”
Drent smirked. “Well, say what you want, but I do enjoy the company as much as the wine”, he said. Argella laughed, a bright, pretty laugh. “I wouldn't have expected anything else from you”, she remarked. “That said, I believe the company could be worse. At least you're not Garen” This caused both to laugh and a bold thought, fuelled by too much strong wine, formed in Drent's mind. Perhaps it would be time to take this to the next level. Nothing too straightforward, just a bit of physical contact for a start. Spotting her bare shoulder, perhaps he could start with a classic...
[Put your arm arou-
She caught the expression on his face and momentarily sent a fierce glare towards him. “Don't you dare even thinking about it”, she warned him, though she smiled as she spoke.
No Choices for this part
Marak
Marak did not know what Noelle had done, but the sharp pain in his arm had died down to a slightly uncomfortable thumping. She had seared the wound shut, which had been enough pain for him to almost knock her out with an accidental punch. But afterwards, she had put some sort of herbs and ointments onto it, a strangely smelling, dark paste she had carried with her. Whatever it was, it helped.
Right now, Marak was left alone with a gruesome task. They had arrived at their meeting spot only a few minutes ago, though according to Noelle, they hadn't much time until their guests would arrive. Under other circumstances, Marak would question her current order, but he was not in the mood for a discussion. Killing Otis had given him no satisfaction. The man was dead, a messy, painful death, yet still better than he deserved and certainly better than all of his victims got.
The place he was at, the spot Noelle planned to confront this old man at, was a soft hill at the edge of the forest, which ended suddenly and sharply as a cliff, a good twenty feet above the small river that crossed Raylan's lands. It was devoid of trees, though the forest still surrounded it thickly from three sides. Not quite the spot Marak would have chosen to confront dangerous people, but Noelle has made herself very clear. Or, not clear at all, which was typical of her.
Shortly after arriving at the spot, a few minutes ago, Noelle had taken the girl to the forest again, for whatever reason. Ellena had been half-conscious again, though still too dizzy to resist in any way. Marak was almost glad he hadn't killed her on the spot with his punch, though from the stunned look in her eyes, he had come dangerously close.
With a grunt, he lifted up the heavy pole. It was the first time he actually built a pyre and usually, he'd question the wisdom of building it right before confronting these dangerous people, but once again, Noelle had been adamant. To make things worse, he had no idea if he did things correctly, but he managed to push the pole deeply into the ground and that was what counted.
As he turned around, he saw Noelle leaving the forest, alone this time. It creeped him out how she made no noise, even while walking through the thick underbrush that surrounded them. Almost like a ghost, she came closer and Marak gulped, though the look in her eyes was warm. “Good”, she said. “You're making good progress”
“Where's the girl?”, Marak asked immediately and Noelle glanced towards the trees. “I hid her in the forest”, she answered. This caused Marak to tense up. “You left her alone in the forest?”, he asked. “You know there's wolves in there, don't you?”
The priestess shrugged. “They won't harm her. I have seen it in the flames”, she explained and Marak sighed. “If they do, don't say I haven't warned you”, he muttered. “Why are you doing this anyway? Hiding the girl, I mean”
“Because the Old Man mustn't see her”, she explained. “If he does, then what's going to stop her from just taking her?” Proudly, Marak put a hand onto his chest. “I think that's why you've even hired me”, he answered. This time, Noelle only shook her head. “You can't win against all of them”, she answered. “So we must be clever. If he doesn't see her, he won't attack until he knows where she is. I force him to bargain”
She knelt down next to the fire and it reflected in her eyes, giving her an expression that Marak feared. “And if that doesn't work, I'm going to kill him, right?”, he asked. She shook her head. “It will work”, she said, without looking away from the flames. “It will work, because it's the will of the lord” Marak smirked. “And what does your rollmop demand next?”, he asked. Without reacting to his slight provocation, Noelle glanced at him. “Now, we will wait”, she said.
No Choices for this part
Ilish
Though she felt slight nervousness, Ilish took a step towards the dog. It looked at her, out of dark brown eyes and she could swear its short tail waggled slightly. “I... I think I'll approach it”, Ilish said, before she took another step towards it.
“Ilish, don't do anything stupid!”, the voice of Torold sounded. “Something's not right there, stay in sight, we'll find a way to get you down!” She heard him shuffling below. “Jarow, try to find another ladder! Taenora, I need your help with Philip”
“I'm fine...”, the voice of Philip sounded, still in a lot of pain. “I... I don't think my leg is broken. Still hurts like hell” He groaned. “You stay where you are”, Torold said. “And you as well, Ilish. You hear me? Ilish?”
By now, she had reached the dog, who was standing now. Carefully, she extended a hand, allowing it to take her scent. The dog raised its head and sniffled at her fingers, before it visibly started waggling its tail. Ilish smiled in relief at that, as she noticed that the dog looked quite friendly and glad to see her. However, she also noticed how well-cared for it was. Its fur was clean, freshly brushed and it looked healthy.
“Good boy”, she said, as she gently petted its head and moved her hand over the fur on its shoulder. The dog panted and came closer. “Yes, that's a good boy”, she said, smiling widely at the new friend she had just made. “Where's your owner?”
And just then, she noticed movement in the shadows between the wall and the crates to her left. She froze and just as she was about to scream for help, a figure jumped out of it, lean, of average height. Its face, no, its entire head was covered with a helmet, the front shaped like the face of a cat. And before she was able to make any sort of noise, this person had grabbed her and put a hand onto her mouth, causing her screams to get inaudibly muffled.
“Don't scream, don't scream”, the person said. It was a man, quite young, judging by the voice and she instantly realized that this was not Kreep. Of course, this was only a minor relief, as Kreep wasn't the only dangerous person in the city. “Please, don't panic”, the young man whispered in a quiet tone, as she tried to struggle, to break free from his surprisingly strong grip. “I don't know what you're doing in here, but I can assure you, I am not your enemy”, he swore. “My name is Ryler. Ryler Grimthorn”
“Ilish, what's going on?”, Torold yelled. “Is everything alright? Get away from that dog, it could be dangerous!” By now, Ilish had stopped struggling, though she was still afraid, her heart beating quickly. The stranger sighed underneath his helmet. “Please, tell him that everything is okay”, he urged her. “I don't want any trouble” With these words, he let go of her and she opened her mouth.
[Scream for help] [Say that everything is okay] [Stay silent]
[Say that everything is okay]
[Scream for help]I really want to say that Snitches get Stitches but I want to screw over mister Cat Man because dogs obviously hate cats so the cute little dog will save us. Also I just don't think it is a good idea to trust someone we just met. Maybe we can get the jump on him and interrogate him.
[Scream for help] Fuck that! The punk jumps someone, covers their mouth and says he doesn't want any trouble? No.... I refuse!
Liquid how could you tease me like that with Drent's part. No choice for this part. Jokes aside, it was very amusing.
Marak's parts always make me feel so uncomfortable now. I feel like I'm reading the antagonist's pov.
[Say that everything is okay]
[Say that everything is okay]
[Stay silent]
If they won't hear answer, they will react as well.
[Say that everything is okay]
Love that tease in Drent's part. XD
Wouldn't they be more worried then? If you stay silent they are filled with worry and fear for Illish, but if you yell for help then they are filled with rage and passion to help Illish. Don't see much of a reason to stay silent.
Well, I'm not sure if I made it clear, but the reason he jumped at Ilish and covered her mouth was exactly because he didn't want her to scream. He knew she would have screamed out of reflex if she would have seen him there.
Hehe, I'm glad you found it amusing
I originally had the idea to include a choice there, but I quickly realized that Argella wouldn't allow any of Drent's advances. That said, she obviously cares about him in some capacity, as she went out of her way to get him a bottle of Arbor Gold and even remembered that he never drank one before, back when they spoke in Chapter 5. It doesn't necessarily have to be a romantic interest, but she's clearly not indifferent about him.
I think I agree. Marak is certainly is the most antagonistic of the PoV's and an outright villain for Raenna's and Ellena's storyline, even though he technicaly isn't more than a henchman for Noelle, who is the real villain here. I have hoped to show some of his more likeable qualities, for example by his clear disgust for Otis, who is undoubtedly far worse, or by his behaviour in the earlier chapters, but he has a very nasty side that comes out in the current situation. I'd say his utter lack of remorse for any bad thing he ever did is one of his worst traits, but in a different situation, he could have even been on the same side as the good guys.
Nice! Three parts in one
Lol, that almost-choice-but-not-really at the end of Drent's part was hilarious XD And the hype for Old Man vs. Noelle keeps building.
[Stay silent] So far we've only had bad examples of weirdos in cat masks in this story, and it wouldn't really be unexpected that one of the alley cats would be in Raylansfair. And jumping on Ilish and covering her mouth certainly doesn't give the best first impression of this Ryler guy. However, if he indeed is an alley cat, he wouldn't hesitate killing a random girl who starts screaming for help. So, I'm going with the neutral choice.
What if the dog is his?
Well, if she starts to scream I don't see why this cat shouldn't cut her throat immediately. At least while staying silent she does not pretend to be okay.
I don't think Liquid would kill off Illish to some cat dude they just introduced. Also I don't think Illish would be killed immediately. She would probably put up a fight long enough for Torold and Jarow to get up and save her. And that way we could get him as a prisoner and question him about what he is doing with that adorable dog of his.
Could be, but this choice is mine and I don't think it will win anyway, so you don't need to worry. Cutting her throat was of course just random example as well. I see this more safer choice for her than screaming.
[Say that everything is okay]
So while I don't think Ryler would hurt Ilish if she screamed, might as well do this. Killing her would cause a lot of trouble, when he would be better just running away. This guy is probably bad news though, cat masks aren't good.
Hm. Hm. Hm. Hm.
Loved Drent's part.
OK this needs to be thought out and very care fully [SCREAM FOR HELP]
Makes sense, but I do need to say one thing...
After a long break I resume my read of this awesome story and it seems that many interesting events happened during my absence! And I shall write my own,and completly unnecessary,random thoughts about them!
RT:
About the last choice I decide:
[Say that everything is okay] This is a classic that I've seen inside so many movies!XD
PS2:Why the Telltale forum is still white?WHYYYYYY!?