Fair argument. My issue here is the eventual consequence of such an open action. Maybe if Sadie 'allies' herself with him there a chance he might eventually leave himself vulnerable. The big issue with me here is that we can tell how this will affect her psychologically. I mean if she does agree to work with Gyles is it because in her mind she honestly believes in loyally working with him?
Well Lord EAA,I suppose that everyone that chose that choice just don't trust Gyles...I doubt that there is someone among us that really be… morelieve that Sadie (without an arm and a a weapon) will manage to kill Gyles (expecially when Leo and Rhogarn are there to stop her)
Okay, again its a good argument. But have you considered what Gyles will do to her for openly attempting to kill him. I doubt it will be anything good.
Spot on! I don't want to work with a scum bag like Gyles, and there is no option to decline without trying to murder him in the process. I a… morem not naive enough to believe Sadie can kill Gyles. Let alone with Leo and his men right next to her. I don't believe Leo is going to hold a grudge with Sadie's little murder tantrum, especially after seeing what kind of scumbag Gyles is and what he did to her sister. So I don't see any downsides to this option, besides getting on Gyles' badside, but I am pretty sure that horseshit doesn't have a good side.
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
Fair argument. My issue here is the eventual consequence of such an open action. Maybe if Sadie 'allies' herself with him there a chance he … moremight eventually leave himself vulnerable. The big issue with me here is that we can tell how this will affect her psychologically. I mean if she does agree to work with Gyles is it because in her mind she honestly believes in loyally working with him?
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
It was a sarcastic statement. I was exaggerating a scenario in which she is doing this to trick him, to highlight the fact we don't know what her mindset would be when 'allied' with him.
I mean if she does agree to work with Gyles is it because in her mind she honestly believes in loyally working with him?
Loyally working with who?The guy that use her sister as a sex slave and make her become a drug addict?
[Refuse Lanford's offer] I lost Internet connection for a few days and couldn't read/vote so this is what I'll do, just for lols. Mullendore and his goons are gone, for now, so it should be a little safer, at least.
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
Emphasis on maybe. On paper, Gyles' deal is one I'd consider to be good. Melanie's life gets saved and in return, his life gets spared. Fair deal. The biggest problem here is, how willing are you to trust him with keeping up his end of the bargain? In any way, the withdrawal is going to be hell and could likely become life-threatening. Sadie and Melanie could use any help they can get, but it's really a question if Gyles is offering any genuine help at all or if he is just trying to trick them into sparing his life for nothing in return. But if he actually keeps his word, then yes, that would be a good thing.
No, it's not that Sadie would work for him, she would work with him to get Melanie off these drugs. In return, Gyles would avoid the revenge… more Sadie undoubtedly would love to take. In his mind, it's basically a deal, his life gets spared, so Melanie's gets saved.
Surprise of the surprises,a deal with Gyles can maybe be a good choice
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
F...... FUCK THIS GUY!!! Oh my gosh, There's always someone in this story that I end up hating. Surprisingly even more than Mullendore. Seriously, screw Gyles. I'm so mad and disgusted. I also feel really bad for Sadie. She lost her best friend, then her hand and now she finds her sister like this. And in so short a time. It also really pains me that Melanie seemed more excited to see those rations than her own sister. Don't let my anger confuse you though. This was a great part.
[Agree to work with Gyles] As much as I despise the idea of working with him, killing him accomplishes nothing. Even if Sadie manages it, her sister will still be like this. Though I suppose you could say that it'd prevent him from doing this to anyone else but I think Sadie needs to be the better person here.
EDIT: I'm so fucking upset right now that I can't even keep myself from coming back here and editing my comment.
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
F...... FUCK THIS GUY!!! Oh my gosh, There's always someone in this story that I end up hating. Surprisingly even more than Mullendore. Seriously, screw Gyles. I'm so mad and disgusted.
Hehe, it seems I have managed to write another truly hateable character But yeah, I can fully understand you there. Gyles is a complete asshole and though he cannot be compared to the villainous actions of Mullendore or Wolfius, he surely is someone that can only be loathed. Whereas Mullendore obviously has done much worse, he can at least claim to justify it in his mindset, by having an ulterior goal that he sees as good and just. Gyles meanwhile, well, he's utterly selfish, petty and greedy, there's really no other reason for him to be like this. He's a very grounded and petty villain, no big goals, no insanity, no redeeming qualities (that you know of so far), just a greedy jerk with no morals. I can see how that brings up a whole different set of emotions compared to many other antagonists in the story. At the same time, Gyles is at least less of a threat, given that his base of power, Leo and his sellswords, is basically about to abandon him.
I also feel really bad for Sadie. She lost her best friend, then her hand and now she finds her sister like this. And in so short a time. It also really pains me that Melanie seemed more excited to see those rations than her own sister. Don't let my anger confuse you though. This was a great part.
Aye, and out of the three huge tragedies in her life, this one is arguably even the one she can cope with the least. Even losing her hand is not as painful as realizing that the sister she loves so much and whom she has spent years looking for is potentially even lost for her. While the final word is not spoken in this situation, things at least look really grim for her and it will be a lot of work for her to build her sister back up, in a time in which she herself is the one that could need help and support almost as much. And well, I am happy that this part caused such strong emotions! Surely, there are more enjoyable parts in terms of the events that happen, but being a part of key importance for Sadie's future storyline, I am glad you felt about it so strongly
F...... FUCK THIS GUY!!! Oh my gosh, There's always someone in this story that I end up hating. Surprisingly even more than Mullendore. Seri… moreously, screw Gyles. I'm so mad and disgusted. I also feel really bad for Sadie. She lost her best friend, then her hand and now she finds her sister like this. And in so short a time. It also really pains me that Melanie seemed more excited to see those rations than her own sister. Don't let my anger confuse you though. This was a great part.
[Agree to work with Gyles] As much as I despise the idea of working with him, killing him accomplishes nothing. Even if Sadie manages it, her sister will still be like this. Though I suppose you could say that it'd prevent him from doing this to anyone else but I think Sadie needs to be the better person here.
EDIT: I'm so fucking upset right now that I can't even keep myself from coming back here and editing my comment.
Indeed the emphasis is on try here. She can probably manage to get Rhogarn's knife, but other than that, it is doubtful if she truly succeeds at killing Gyles, considering that she is still barely in the process of recovering and very weak after a traumatic injury and two full days of sleep. This is very much a choice Sadie will make in a very emotional state, so that doesn't really add to her chances at succeeding. Of course, if she'd be in her prime, a guy like Gyles wouldn't stand a chance, but as it is, he's probably able to survive. That said, there will be consequences for him as well, which we will explore in greater detail in Book 2. For now, this concludes Sadie's storyline for Book 1, but there will be big things to come for her in Book 2, a lot of stuff I am very excited about.
Now, I wasn't sure about closing the voting today, but I think I might better do it before we receive a vote tie. That's the main reason for the voting being closed at such an unusual time. I was not sure if I manage to finish this part today, but as it is, I have made good progress and should theoretically be able to put it out in the next couple of hours. This next part will conclude the storylines of Jenna and Richard for Book 1. I also noticed it's been over two months since Jenna's latest part and man, I really thought I'd be able to finish this chapter a bit faster than that Anyways, a recap is almost certainly required here. Last time we saw her, Jenna had just encountered Leonard, who was trying to hide after not making it out of the castle in time. He was found by an old acquaintance, a Vyrwel knight by the name of Hugo Farnham, who tried to convince Leonard to come with him to Petyr and Mullendore without a fight. However, Jenna managed to distract him long enough for Saerya to bring Leonard to her room, where they discussed their next step. Both, Saerya and Leonard had differing ideas on how to smuggle him out of the castle and eventually, Jenna agreed with Leonard, who suggested a direct role for her to distract Vyrwel's guards. Recently, John and Daghan also agreed to help them in exchange for Saerya's help in finding Janae. Meanwhile, Richard's latest part hasn't been that long ago. Initially, he was seen checking up with a couple of people after the raid, including Hal, Mathea and a grieving Carma, before returning home. You remember, he saved Kersea's life during the raid. By now, he has brought her to his house and started to treat her wounds. His latest part started after she woke up again. They had a brief talk about her involvement with Mullendore, though before she could get to the interesting parts, Alan intervened by being a general pain in the ass. He insisted on being present for this talk and despite his negative feelings on Alan, Richard ultimately agreed to grant him this little favour.
So, for some reason I thought of this. You know what would be a really stupid character in this story?
A General Grievous-expy.
Just imagine him coughing all the time and feared yet completely incompetent.
Maybe the Donnel will need one...
Today on characters I never thought to see discussed for FoT
That said, I do remember Grievous to be actually legitimately menacing in the original Clone Wars series (not the newer one), where he took down six Jedi at once. He wasn't always the weak meme from Revenge of the Sith, you know. Though as much as I love the character, I doubt I could take him seriously even in the slightest. Sooner or later, every character would greet him with the words "Hello there".
So, for some reason I thought of this. You know what would be a really stupid character in this story?
A General Grievous-expy.
Just imagine him coughing all the time and feared yet completely incompetent.
Maybe the Donnel will need one...
That said, I do remember Grievous to be actually legitimately menacing in the original Clone Wars series (not the newer one), where he took down six Jedi at once. He wasn't always the weak meme from Revenge of the Sith, you know.
Yes, I remember seeing it before I saw the newer series, and I rewatched his scenes many times, so of course I am familiar with his once badass state. That was freaking awesome, but you know, Revenge of the Sith kind of took a dump on our favorite cyborg in terms of fear factor (especially with that goddamn cough). This is what you are referring to:
The newer Clone Wars series largely reinforced that persona of weak meme, although he did have his moments ("Lair of Grievous", "Grievous Intrigue", "Massacre"), and unfortunately since the show was cancelled by Disney, we never got to see Grievous vs. Darth Maul on screen, only in the Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir comics.
At least some memes of Grievous are funny:
Though as much as I love the character, I doubt I could take him seriously even in the slightest. Sooner or later, every character would greet him with the words "Hello there".
I can barely take him seriously in the movies, but you know, he's not totally a joke. I can perfectly visual an interaction between a FoT General Grievous and like Jenna, because I don't even think she would be intimidated.
Today on characters I never thought to see discussed for FoT
That said, I do remember Grievous to be actually legitimately menacing in t… morehe original Clone Wars series (not the newer one), where he took down six Jedi at once. He wasn't always the weak meme from Revenge of the Sith, you know. Though as much as I love the character, I doubt I could take him seriously even in the slightest. Sooner or later, every character would greet him with the words "Hello there".
Yes, I remember seeing it before I saw the newer series, and I rewatched his scenes many times, so of course I am familiar with his once badass state. That was freaking awesome, but you know, Revenge of the Sith kind of took a dump on our favorite cyborg in terms of fear factor (especially with that goddamn cough). This is what you are referring to:
Aye, that is the scene I meant! I saw it by chance and safe to say, it left one hell of an impression on me as a ten-year old. That should have been him in the movie as well, but for reasons unknown, they really messed him up there. I still enjoyed him back when first watching it though, it was only in later years that I came to realize how ridiculous his movie version has been. The cough sort of ruined it. I mean, I never quite understood why a cyborg with only a bare minimum of organic parts is even capable of coughing.
The newer Clone Wars series largely reinforced that persona of weak meme, although he did have his moments ("Lair of Grievous", "Grievous Intrigue", "Massacre"), and unfortunately since the show was cancelled by Disney, we never got to see Grievous vs. Darth Maul on screen, only in the Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir comics.
Grievous vs Maul, now that I would have loved to see. I probably should try to get my hands on these comics, didn't know about them so far. I remember that Grievous was somewhat better in the series than in the movie though, but to be fair, given how incompetent he was in the movie, anything would have been an improvement.
I can barely take him seriously in the movies, but you know, he's not totally a joke. I can perfectly visual an interaction between a FoT General Grievous and like Jenna, because I don't even think she would be intimidated.
Hehe, I doubt Jenna would be intimidated by a Grievous-expy from the movies, even if he is indeed not a complete joke. He'd try, yeah, but anyone braver than pre-development Jenna wouldn't be impressed. That said, the original Grievous would have been terrifying to her. Given that even movie-Grievous looked pretty badass though, I do think such a scene would hold some visual potential, even if a Grievous character would obviously look a tiny bit different from the source material.
Did you ever watch the newer Clone Wars series?
Half of it. I have watched all of the first three seasons, but anything after it, I haven't, as new schedules in school made me lose track of it. Though I have seen parts of it later on and basically know the most important plot points. Maybe I should rewatch the series in its entirey, as I can hardly remember some of the earlier parts.
That said, I do remember Grievous to be actually legitimately menacing in the original Clone Wars series (not the newer one), where he took … moredown six Jedi at once. He wasn't always the weak meme from Revenge of the Sith, you know.
Yes, I remember seeing it before I saw the newer series, and I rewatched his scenes many times, so of course I am familiar with his once badass state. That was freaking awesome, but you know, Revenge of the Sith kind of took a dump on our favorite cyborg in terms of fear factor (especially with that goddamn cough). This is what you are referring to:
The newer Clone Wars series largely reinforced that persona of weak meme, although he did have his moments ("Lair of Grievous", "Grievous Intrigue", "Massacre"), and unfortunately since the show was cancelled by Disney, we never got to see Grievous vs. Darth Maul on screen, only in the Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir comics.
At least some memes of Grievous … [view original content]
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He was intimidating, even more than the other man and Jenna was glad that Saerya was between them. In any other situation, she would have been terrified by him, though right now, the horror of what she was about to do was so much worse.
“Eh, it can't be worse than Qoherys. Remember that time you walked in on him and that...”, Daghan chuckled and for a moment, Saerya narrowed her eyes, before widening them in horror. “Oh, gods!”, she exclaimed, as she managed to simultaneously look disgusted and amused. “Oh no, I almost forgot that one!” She began to chime in on his chuckling, though she also gave him a hard, playful punch against the upper arm. “You arse!”, she gasped.
Jenna raised an eyebrow, as she once again glanced around the corner. “What are you talking about?”, she asked and Saerya grinned. “Old stories. You really don't want to know that”, she answered decidedly. “I wish I wouldn't, but hells, I'll never get that stench out of my nose again” She glared at Daghan, who shrugged apologetically. “Hey, you've been smiling”, he said and she rolled her eyes. “Just prepare for your part, you big oaf”, she sighed.
With this, she directed her attention back to Jenna. “Are you ready?”, she asked and nervously, Jenna gave her a nod. “What if I fail?”, she asked in return. Saerya did not reply, though Leonard cleared his throat from behind her. “Yeah... could you not?”, he asked and his voice sounded stressed. “I only wish we could have helped Flowers...”
“Maybe once we got you out of here”, Jenna brought up, looking at Saerya. The other woman frowned. “That'll be even harder”, she admitted, before she glanced over her shoulder. “We'll try. Can't promise anything, but we'll try. Now, try to look as dead as possible. Don't move, take only shallow breaths” Leonard groaned. “That won't be a problem”, he mumbled.
“So, about your help”, the one-eyed sellsword growled. John, that was his name. Saerya gave him a bright smile and he seemed to mellow down at this sight. “I mean, what can I expect?”, he mumbled. “My very best”, Saerya promised. “I don't know if I will be able to find your friend, but I should get you a lead on where she is”
John was silent for a moment. “That'll suffice”, he agreed. “Me and my men will do the rest. We lost people in this raid, but I should still get a handful of trained fighters” Saerya nodded. “Then gather them once we're done here. I'll meet you and Daghan at the tavern when I delivered our wayward knight” Her smile faded slightly. “It's possible that she has left the city. You better prepare for a longer journey, just in case”
Finally, Saerya started to move the cart, steering the horses around the corner, while Jenna threw another look at the two men that were going to help her. She was scared of them, but frankly, she was scared of most people and since Saerya so obviously trusted them, she was willing to do the same. Though their involvement hasn't made things much easier for her, when it came to her fear of failing.
Saerya however was smiling in anticipation. “You can do this”, she assured her. “Just act with them like you did with the knight” Jenna gulped. “That was something else”, she protested and Saerya shook her head. “The same thing entirely”, she argued. “Now, focus”
The gate was guarded by two men, neither of them looked familiar to Jenna. They wore black and red, the colours of House Vyrwel and seemed confident in their position. Her own role in this was clear. She had to sweet talk them, convince them to let them pass without looking too closely at the corpses, so that they might ignore the one that was still breathing.
Only shortly before she reached the gate, a thought flashed through her mind. It was a truly terrifying one, a memory of Wolfius. A briefly as she had met him, as much as she hoped and prayed that she would never see him again, this was a memory to be afraid of. Her current situation was nothing compared to it. She had survived Wolfius, she would survive this right here. And in that moment, she actually gained confidence.
“Slow down”, one of the guards ordered. It was the man closer to Saerya, a young guard with a serious face, a mild frown on it. He didn't even light up when Saerya followed his order, giving him a smile that would have given any man weak knees.
In contrast, Jenna's guard was an older man, who looked stern, yet slightly bored at the same time. He glanced at her only once and to her surprise, he reciprocated her smile. “What do we have here?”, he asked. “Do they send servants to dispose of the corpses now?”
Though he looked at Jenna, she quickly stared at Saerya, hoping that the other woman would answer the question in her stead. Saerya did, as she leant forwards, her smile now warmer and more familiar as she looked at the still unmoved young man in front of her. “The men have better things to do”, she said. “We have been asked to bring these to the others”
“Should be one of the last”, the older man said and Jenna nodded. “I hope so”, she admitted, to which he gave her a warm smile. “Don't be scared of the dead, girl”, he told her and she shook her head. “I'm not”, she answered firmly as she smiled proudly. “Well then”, the man continued. “You better get this over with. Go along, bring these poor bastards to the others”
The younger man instantly shook his head. “Not so fast”, he growled. “You know the order. Check the cart” The older man sighed. “You sure that's necessary? We're looking for a knight, not for two young girls”, he complained, before he looked at Jenna. “Have you seen one? Young man, goes by the name of Leonard Constantine. He's a dangerous criminal”
Jenna shook her head. “Can't say I have”, she replied and she knew, he was convinced. The other one was very much the problem and Saerya had surprising problems winning him over. “Ser, we really have to hurry”, she argued. “If we don't get this done soon, we'll be in trouble”
Still, the young man only shook his head. “Sorry, but that's none of our business”, he told her. “We have our orders and they are very clear. Search the cart!” The older man sighed. “Boy, you're too excited about this job”, he complained, though he followed the order reluctantly. Jenna glanced over her shoulder in horror, as he lifted up one of the corpses. Below it, she could already see Leonard's auburn hair.
“Seriously, they are all dead”, the guard complained, as he put the corpse down again. The younger man rolled his eyes, though he nodded. “I'm not happy about this either”, he answered and gave Saerya an apologetic smile, the first time he even seemed to truly acknowledge her. “We'll try to make it quick”
It was in this moment that their distraction hit. From below the corner, John came staggering, after Daghan heavily pushed him. “You take that back!”, the bald knight roared and John managed to stagger to the mid of the courtyard. The two guards exchanged alarmed looks and Jenna knew what they were thinking right now. Neither John nor Daghan was someone to be left unchecked, especially when they were in the process of getting into a fight.
“Damn it...”, the younger man mumbled. “You continue with the cart. I keep these two in line!” He rushed to the men, as Daghan slowly approached John. The knight was playing his role perfectly and in this moment, Jenna would have been terrified if he'd try to get to her.
The older man was left at the cart and he sighed bitterly. “Sure, leave me alone”, he mumbled, as he half-heartedly put a hand onto the neck of the next corpse, checking the dead man's pulse. Jenna climbed down the cart. “May I help you?”, she offered and the man smiled warmly. “If you want”, he answered. “Seven Hells, you're really in a hurry, aren't you?”
Jenna nodded shyly, as she climbed onto the wheel to lean over the edge of the cart. The guard pulled up another corpse, a dead Ironborn, looking at it with disgust. Beneath him, Jenna spotted Leonard. The knight's fists were clenched and though his breaths were shallow, she knew he was still alive and was not sure if he would have fooled anyone. Putting two fingers onto his neck, she shook his head. “Still dead”, she replied.
With a groan, the guard put the dead Ironborn back onto Leonard. “This one bled on me”, he complained. “Ah, disgusting” He sighed. “I think you're good. Get on with this before my friend is back” He waved into the direction of the gate and Jenna smiled thankfully.
Quickly, she climbed back onto the cart, as Saerya started moving it. Only as they had passed the gate did she allow herself to smile with relief. Saerya did the same. “See”, she spoke. “I told you you'll do this. Wasn't all that hard, was it?”
Jenna sighed, as she shook her head. “I'd rather not do this again”, she admitted, as she didn't even dare to look back. “What's next?” Saerya's smile faded. “Now, we shall deliver our knight to your father's farm. I'll have a talk with him in time, after I helped John and Daghan”, she answered. “And then, Sweet, then we will do whatever we can to help your people and my king”
No Choices for this part
Richard
Alan sat there, his mouth slightly open as Kersea had finished her tale. “So... you are working for Butterfly”, he gasped and Richard raised an eyebrow. “You heard of this man before?”, he asked. He himself had taken Kersea's story calmly, though he felt deeply uncomfortable at what he had just heard. He pitied her, that much was for sure. But just the thought of how deeply she and her group had been involved in the events that caused his city to go downhill was unsettling. In an odd way though, he was glad that he saved her. Her knowledge, her skills and what he interpreted as a genuine desire to redeem herself, it would be useful in the things to come.
“Heard of him”, Alan answered. “You don't get to live in Oldtown without hearing about Butterfly. He controls the city. If you follow the law, you have nothing to fear. Unfortunately...” His crooked smile was all Richard had to know and he didn't ask any further.
Instead, he turned to Kersea, who looked at him silently. Her wound left her in pain, though there was something else in her eyes as well, a deeper agony and loss. And he saw the shame about her own role in this. “Do you think he might be after you?”
She thought about this for a moment. “Could be” she admitted. “He held my sister hostage for years just to keep me loyal” She closed her eyes. “And now Briar might be gone again”, she gasped. “Once I have recovered, I have to find her. Have to find out what happened to her”
Richard gave her a nod. “We'll find her”, he promised, though he noticed how Alan tensed up. “Wait a moment...”, his brother mumbled. “Could we get back to the point where you're working for Butterfly? That fucking beast?”
“Worked”, Kersea clarified. “My life is my own again. If I get my hands on that man, I will make him pay for the life he stole” Alan seemed to be not less alarmed, as genuine as her words seemed. “Bloody hell, we have a rogue killer in our house now”, he muttered. “Richard, you have to kick her out! We cannot be linked to her or anything about Butterfly, really. He'll find her and then we'll be dead with her!”
Kersea sighed, not seeming surprised, though Richard glared at his brother. “I will not just throw her out”, he replied sternly. “She's going to die without our help” Alan rolled his eyes. “She's a dead woman either way. Richard, I know you're daft, but you have to trust me here”, he replied. “Butterfly is not to be toyed with” With a tiny rest of decency, he gave Kersea an apologetic look. “It pains me to say this about such a maiden fair, but you know I am right”
She opened her eyes, looking at him mildly. “You have a point”, she admitted, before she looked back at Richard. “You have been good to me, even when you had no reason to. Saved my life. Brought me to your house instead of the city. I'd probably be already dead there “ She shook her head. “I... am not saying I don't want your help. I doubt I'll make it without you” In clear pain she glanced at her hand, which she had put onto the bandages around her waist. “But I want you to be absolutely sure of the risk”
“Tell me then”, Richard ordered and she gulped. “I don't know if Butterfly will find me”, she answered. “He's not a sorcerer, for all I know. In general, they probably think me dead. Clayton would have returned already if that wouldn't be the case” Her gaze got distant, stern, deadly serious. “If anyone knows I'm here though, you are dead. Your brother is dead. Your daughter is dead. Any friend who happens to be involved in this will die as well. Butterfly is thorough when it comes to lose ends”
“Alright, that's it”, Alan said, as he rose from his chair. “Leave the house. Come on, just do it. We don't need you here, we don't want you here” He attempted to approach her, though Richard held him back. “We're not just throwing her out”, he growled. “You in particular not. Sit down”
Alan rolled his eyes. “That girl is dangerous!”, he warned him and Richard gave him a nod. “That I don't doubt. But I won't kick her out. I'm better than that” He looked back at her. “You say Butterfly has plans for this city?”
Without even hesitating, Kersea gave him a nod. “Big ones”, she answered. “I think it's meant to be a takeover. Murdering your leaders, creating chaos and distrust. Losing the wildfire was a bit of a setback, but all in all, I doubt it'll take long until he succeeds. Then, he himself will come here”
The newcomers flashed through Richard's mind. How timely they arrived, that was not a coincidence. They were led by a man called Vyrwel, he remembered. “Perhaps he already is”, he mumbled, before he looked back at her. “Your knowledge is dangerous to him and he is dangerous to all of us. Perhaps keeping you here will even help with saving my family”
A look of genuine surprise appeared on Kersea's face, followed by a quick, yet genuine smile. It lit up her face, gave her a beauty he hadn't noticed before, as brief as it lasted. “Then I swear, I will do what I can to repay you”, she said. “My blade is yours. If Butterfly and his thugs want to harm to you or the ones you love, they'll have to go through me first”
Alan frowned, before he stood up again. “Yeah, admirable courage. But girl, you're going to put us in danger, worse than that, you're going to put me in danger. You are danger”, he complained, before he looked at Richard. “And you are a complete idiot!” In frustration, he attempted to march out and though Richard wouldn't have stopped him on his own, he stood still all of a sudden, as he looked out of the window. “Oh, for fucks sake”
Richard followed his glance and his eyes widened, as he saw three figures walking up the path to his house. He instantly recognized Jenna and a hopeful smile formed on his face, even if he slightly hesitated as he noticed the other two. One of them was a woman, probably not much older than Jenna herself. She was a dark-haired beauty, not the type he would have expected in a servant's attire. Between them walked a young man that seemed distantly familiar. “Oh fuck...”, he mumbled as he recognized Ser Leonard Constantine.
Quickly, he rushed to the door and opened it, as the trio stopped in front of his door. A relieved smile formed on Leonard's face and he gave the beautiful woman a nod. “I am in your debt”, he thanked her and she raised an eyebrow. “I'm not the one you should thank”, she told him. “She convinced me”
With a grin, Leonard gave Jenna a pat onto the back and she blushed, giving him a shy smile, before she stumbled into Richard' arms. “Jenna, what are you doing?”, he asked, as she sighed in relief at being close to him. “The right thing”, she answered. “What you would have done. He needs our help and I told him he can hide at the farm for a time. It's big enough for four”
Richard separated from his daughter again, though he put his hands onto her shoulder, as a smile of disbelief formed on his face. There was pride as well, but in a way, he felt almost amused by this turn of events. “Oh man...”, he gasped, before he looked at the other two. “We'll talk this out. I won't send you away. For now, you better come in. There is someone you have to meet”
Leonard smiled, as he came closer, extending his hand, a gesture Richard accepted by shaking it. “Thank you”, he said. “I knew you're a good man, but still, this is more than I could have asked for, from you or your daughter”
As the four walked in, they were greeted by a sour-faced Alan, who thankfully remained quiet. However, Richard noticed how Leonard's eyes widened as he spotted Kersea, now sitting in the bed. He seemed surprised to see her, cluing Richard in that he knew her.
“It's you again!”, he said, as he gave her a nod to greet. “I was afraid you died when the lighthouse came down” Kersea gulped, nervous at his presence here, though she managed to reciprocate the gesture. “Almost did”, she admitted. “Richard here saved me”
“And his daughter did the same to me”, Leonard replied, something that caused Jenna to smile proudly. “Oh, well...”, she mumbled, as she blushed from the attention she just received. Leonard chuckled at this, before he turned back to Kersea. “Anyways, glad you survived. Really saved me during the raid”
His words caused Alan to chuckle. “Oh, please. You know nothing about her”, he brought up and Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Now... what is that supposed to mean?”, he asked. “Generally, who are you?” Alan did an elegant bow. “Why, my name is Alan Harking”, Alan introduced himself. “Daring businessman, shrewd investor and...” He caught Richard's glare. “And I am probably going to be quiet now. Since my brother knows everything better than me, he can tell you the problem about our pretty guest”
He quickly attempted to walk away, though stopped when he spotted Saerya. His eyes widened slightly and with a grin, he remained nearby. She frowned at his lecherous expression, though said nothing about it, as curiosity appeared on her face.
“What does he mean?”, Leonard asked in a friendly tone. “Are you two up to anything I should know?” Richard caused the look on Kersea's face and immediately realized what she meant. Obviously, there were some parts of her story the knight might not react too kindly about. Sharing the house with a former professional killer, he would probably not be too thrilled about it. And perhaps, for the sake of peace in his house, it would be better to hide at least the most concerning parts of her story. At the same time, maybe he deserved the truth. Maybe hiding this would lead only to bigger problems later on. Richard sighed and looked up at them, having made his decision.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea][Keep some of the details for yourself]
It was tense with the corpse cart. But ol' Leonard pulled through. He probably would have been found if John didn't help. I am glad he wasn't obviously.
To be honest, Alan makes some good points, it's a shame he's generally an unsympathetic character. It's a party at the Harking farm.
One of these choices will likely lead to immediate anger, but it will probably subside. But if we lie, or in this case, don't tell the whole truth, and Leonard finds out, he will be absolutely furious and lose any trust in Richard. Also, he would be pissed at Kersea too. Lying is never cool, and Leonard will agree, so so heavily.
My boy Leonard has survived a book (it seems). What an accomplishment. Yippee.
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah… more, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He w… [view original content]
Aye, that is the scene I meant! I saw it by chance and safe to say, it left one hell of an impression on me as a ten-year old. That should have been him in the movie as well, but for reasons unknown, they really messed him up there. I still enjoyed him back when first watching it though, it was only in later years that I came to realize how ridiculous his movie version has been. The cough sort of ruined it. I mean, I never quite understood why a cyborg with only a bare minimum of organic parts is even capable of coughing.
It did the same for me. There is another Grievous-action sequence (set right before the Battle of Coruscant) where he gets his chest crushed by Mace Windu, severely injuring him and giving him his cough. The newer animated (canon) series made it so his cough always existed, and that Grievous was always crappy. I'm pretty sure only scant details of Grievous were given to the creators of the 2003 series, and there wasn't too much coordination, so he can up pretty mediocre.
Grievous vs Maul, now that I would have loved to see. I probably should try to get my hands on these comics, didn't know about them so far. I remember that Grievous was somewhat better in the series than in the movie though, but to be fair, given how incompetent he was in the movie, anything would have been an improvement.
Yeah, they are adaptations of finished scripts of 4 episodes from Season 6 of the Clone Wars that weren't animated before the cancellation. You would be best in watching the Clone Wars (at least the Darth Maul episodes) before reading it to understand the context. Here's a picture of Maul and Grievous:
Hehe, I doubt Jenna would be intimidated by a Grievous-expy from the movies, even if he is indeed not a complete joke. He'd try, yeah, but anyone braver than pre-development Jenna wouldn't be impressed. That said, the original Grievous would have been terrifying to her. Given that even movie-Grievous looked pretty badass though, I do think such a scene would hold some visual potential, even if a Grievous character would obviously look a tiny bit different from the source material.
On looks, oh yeah. Grievous definitely has an awesome design. But the movie one with the coughs, just ack.
Half of it. I have watched all of the first three seasons, but anything after it, I haven't, as new schedules in school made me lose track of it. Though I have seen parts of it later on and basically know the most important plot points. Maybe I should rewatch the series in its entirey, as I can hardly remember some of the earlier parts.
It's definitely worth a rewatch. I watched the whole series when they came out originally, and I recently have begun to rewatch the series on Netflix. After getting through the roughness of Season 1 and 2, I just finished the Savage Oppress arc in Season 3 (which incidentally ends with the Maul being alive reveal). Season 4, 5, and the released bits of Season 6 (The Lost Missions) have some of the finest animated work ever done. In fact, there's some stuff in here I believe you as an author would appreciate for influences. My favorite arc in the entire series is in Season 4 and features the voice work of none other than Dave Fennoy, and of course Sam Witwer is in the other storylines. The good General Grievous has some shiny moments in Season 4 too.
Even if you don't want to rewatch the whole first 3 seasons, I'd recommend the rest. I also recommend Star Wars Rebels, which, like the Clone Wars, starts out rough but steadily improves (and will surely have a kickass final season). But definitely save that for after the Clone Wars, because Rebels is in many ways (especially after Season 1) the sequel to the Clone Wars, with numerous characters and storylines continuing from it.
Yes, I remember seeing it before I saw the newer series, and I rewatched his scenes many times, so of course I am familiar with his once bad… moreass state. That was freaking awesome, but you know, Revenge of the Sith kind of took a dump on our favorite cyborg in terms of fear factor (especially with that goddamn cough). This is what you are referring to:
Aye, that is the scene I meant! I saw it by chance and safe to say, it left one hell of an impression on me as a ten-year old. That should have been him in the movie as well, but for reasons unknown, they really messed him up there. I still enjoyed him back when first watching it though, it was only in later years that I came to realize how ridiculous his movie version has been. The cough sort of ruined it. I mean, I never quite understood why a cyborg with only a bare minimum of organic parts is even capable of coughing.
The newer Clone Wars series largely reinforced that persona of… [view original content]
This choice brings me back to the time when Lunett held back the truth from Lucas and Leonard about visiting Oldtown. Knowing Leonard, he will be outright pissed if we withhold any info from him. Better to tell him sooner than later.
Alan did an elegant bow. “Why, my name is Alan Harking”, Alan introduced himself. “Daring businessman, shrewd investor and...” He caught Richard's glare. “And I am probably going to be quiet now. Since my brother knows everything better than me, he can tell you the problem about our pretty guest”
I'd love to see him and Hobert in a yelling match. That would be comedy gold.
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah… more, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He w… [view original content]
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah… more, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He w… [view original content]
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah… more, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He w… [view original content]
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea] It's better that Leonard know now Kersea story and dislike her for her past than make him discover,maybe even in a dangerous position,that she worked for Butterfly
RT:
Leonard plan worked!
Daghan and Saerya remember us of the infamous noodle incident
John in this part give us a teaser of what will happen in his last one
Jenna was really good in this part since the plan worked expecially thanks to her
What Alan say is true (that Kersea is a danger for them) but he should remember that for reach true peace Richard should threw even him out of the house!
The Harkings are the real saviors of this story
And now Richard farm is the safe heaven for two fugitives, I'm curious to read the situation of the Harkings and their guests after two months
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah… more, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He w… [view original content]
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea] It's better to stay honest, especially since we are dealing with Leonard here, who famously hates being lied to. And let's be honest, more than likely he will learn the full truth sooner or later anyway. Learning who and what Kersea exactly is might sour Leonard's opinion on her for now, but at least she and Richard will have a chance to eventually end up on his good side again. Something I doubt would be possible if they were caught lying to him.
And Jenna was her adorable yet amazing self once again, the corpse cart scene was great I'm really interested to see what will be the next steps in Jenna' storyline and character development!
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah… more, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He w… [view original content]
It was tense with the corpse cart. But ol' Leonard pulled through. He probably would have been found if John didn't help. I am glad he wasn't obviously.
Indeed, John was the deciding factor here. If not for him, Leonard would have been found, resulting obviously in huge problems for him, but for Jenna and Saerya as well (even if these two could have managed to get out of this situation again)
To be honest, Alan makes some good points, it's a shame he's generally an unsympathetic character. It's a party at the Harking farm.
Well, occasionally he does make good points. Right here, he is correct about the danger Kersea poses. The same goes to Leonard, as both are wanted by Mullendore. Of course, he is more than a bit hypocritically here, as he himself had to leave Oldtown due to getting into trouble with the wrong people. Though the ones looking for him are not even nearly as dangerous as Mullendore, he's still putting Richard and Jenna at risk himself. Still, he is not wrong about his assumption here. In trope terms, this one describes the situation pretty well. He's a hypocritical jerk, but occasionally, he brings up good arguments that are not clouded by Richard's morality.
My boy Leonard has survived a book (it seems). What an accomplishment. Yippee.
He did! I can confirm that this is Leonard's last appearance for Book 1, so he has indeed made it through the entirety of Book 1, together with a handful of other survivors from the very first chapter. Of course, Chapter 9 will not end without some death in the next three parts, but it won't be Leonard's. I'm still having plans for him in Book 2. That said, the alternative choices will show you that there could have been a way for him to die in this chapter, even if it was a relatively unlikely one (as the choices leading to Leonard's survival were rather obvious this time).
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea]
Oh boy. Stuck between a rock and a hard place.
It was tense with the corpse cart. But ol' Leona… morerd pulled through. He probably would have been found if John didn't help. I am glad he wasn't obviously.
To be honest, Alan makes some good points, it's a shame he's generally an unsympathetic character. It's a party at the Harking farm.
One of these choices will likely lead to immediate anger, but it will probably subside. But if we lie, or in this case, don't tell the whole truth, and Leonard finds out, he will be absolutely furious and lose any trust in Richard. Also, he would be pissed at Kersea too. Lying is never cool, and Leonard will agree, so so heavily.
My boy Leonard has survived a book (it seems). What an accomplishment. Yippee.
This choice brings me back to the time when Lunett held back the truth from Lucas and Leonard about visiting Oldtown. Knowing Leonard, he will be outright pissed if we withhold any info from him. Better to tell him sooner than later.
Yeah, that is a scene I am glad to see remembered. Lunett eventually came clean to Leonard and he was pissed, even if it was a relatively small lie. True, he warmed up to her again, just in time to see her brutally murdered by Mullendore, but it took him a while. Kersea's lie would be bigger and more severe, as she actually has something terrible to hide. In this case however, it is unlikely she'd come clean to him by herself.
I'd love to see him and Hobert in a yelling match. That would be comedy gold.
Oh, that would be great! Surely, I'd love such a scene as well, especially since Hobert and Alan have so many similarities. Unlike Alan, Hobert has some power to back his huge ego, but at the core, they are super similar. They'd probably realize this and as a result really not get along with each other.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea]
This choice brings me back to the time when Lunett held back the truth from Lucas and Leonard abou… moret visiting Oldtown. Knowing Leonard, he will be outright pissed if we withhold any info from him. Better to tell him sooner than later.
Alan did an elegant bow. “Why, my name is Alan Harking”, Alan introduced himself. “Daring businessman, shrewd investor and...” He caught Richard's glare. “And I am probably going to be quiet now. Since my brother knows everything better than me, he can tell you the problem about our pretty guest”
I'd love to see him and Hobert in a yelling match. That would be comedy gold.
It did! However, this was only because of your most recent John choice. On its own, without his help, the plan would have failed, Leonard would have been captured and this would have had serious consequences. Saerya's plan meanwhile would have worked even without John. This is the main reason why the Jenna choice for her to decide on a strategy will be one of the big choices of Chapter 9. All in all, Saerya's plan would have worked better, but thanks to John, the end result is the same now.
Daghan and Saerya remember us of the infamous noodle incident
And probably one I will allude to again in the future These two got a past with the people at Dragonstone (The Qoherys in question being obviously a member of the Targaryen servant house of Qoherys) and Book 2 is probably going to show at least one of them in their familiar surroundings again.
John in this part give us a teaser of what will happen in his last one
For a moment I was confused by this, as I thought you meant John's last part in the entire story But yeah, this was indeed a bit of a teaser for what he's going to try in his next part. Gathering his remaining companions, waiting for Saerya, then chasing after Janae. We'll see if it all works out according to plan.
Jenna was really good in this part since the plan worked expecially thanks to her
She chose the plan and she basically made it work. Saerya would have rather tried her own, which she saw as safer, but well, thanks to Jenna, this one led to a good ending. I can confirm that if she would have died earlier, this wouldn't have been possible. Probably, Saerya wouldn't have cared at all.
What Alan say is true (that Kersea is a danger for them) but he should remember that for reach true peace Richard should threw even him out of the house!
As I said to InGen, Alan has a point, but you have one as well. Kersea is a danger (and you can bet that they will have the same discussion about Leonard), but Alan ignores the fact that he himself is a danger as well and unlike Kersea (who spared Richard's life) and Leonard (whom Richard generally respects), he outright harmed him by cheating him out of his inheritance. So, yeah, he's a hypocrite, as he always is, but that doesn't automatically mean that everything he says is wrong.
The Harkings are the real saviors of this story
They are two chronic heroes with a case of helper syndrome. Undeniably, people like them are needed in Raylansfair at this moment. And especially Richard has a history of saving others. With Jenna growing up in the recent chapters, she starts to feel the same, which highly motivated her desire to help Leonard in this chapter.
And now Richard farm is the safe heaven for two fugitives, I'm curious to read the situation of the Harkings and their guests after two months
Things will be tense, that much I can promise. There's Alan, who doesn't want either at the farm, Jenna who is still not fully at the end of her development and Richard who has to keep an eye on both. His guests consist of a fugitive knight who is sought after by the rulers of the city and a heavily wounded assassin, who might not be actively looked for, but whose presence would put the entire Harking family at risk. Indeed, Kersea's wound will affect her heavily during the coming months, as she only barely avoided a critical injury. Meanwhile, tensions will surely run high between Alan, Leonard and Kersea. It's not easy being the good guy, as poor Richard is surely going to find out
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea] It's better that Leonard know now Kersea story and dislike her for her past than make him discover… more,maybe even in a dangerous position,that she worked for Butterfly
RT:
* Leonard plan worked!
* Daghan and Saerya remember us of the infamous noodle incident
* John in this part give us a teaser of what will happen in his last one
* Jenna was really good in this part since the plan worked expecially thanks to her
* What Alan say is true (that Kersea is a danger for them) but he should remember that for reach true peace Richard should threw even him out of the house!
* The Harkings are the real saviors of this story
* And now Richard farm is the safe heaven for two fugitives, I'm curious to read the situation of the Harkings and their guests after two months
And Jenna was her adorable yet amazing self once again, the corpse cart scene was great I'm really interested to see what will be the next steps in Jenna' storyline and character development!
You know, it is great to hear that the general opinion on Jenna switched from annyoing to adorable and amazing She has come a long way from the girl she was in Chapter 2 and 3 and one of the few in Book 1 that already grew on their hardships. Things won't get any easier in Book 2, but the coming events will also lead her into a new and probably even somewhat surprising direction.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea] It's better to stay honest, especially since we are dealing with Leonard here, who famously hates bei… moreng lied to. And let's be honest, more than likely he will learn the full truth sooner or later anyway. Learning who and what Kersea exactly is might sour Leonard's opinion on her for now, but at least she and Richard will have a chance to eventually end up on his good side again. Something I doubt would be possible if they were caught lying to him.
And Jenna was her adorable yet amazing self once again, the corpse cart scene was great I'm really interested to see what will be the next steps in Jenna' storyline and character development!
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah… more, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He w… [view original content]
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah… more, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He w… [view original content]
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah… more, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He w… [view original content]
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah… more, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He w… [view original content]
Sadly, we cannot throw Kersea out, like Alan wants.
I can surely understand why you'd prefer such an option Ah, I'm afraid that would go against Richard's entire personality, so he's certainly not going to throw her out until she's fully recovered from her injury. That said, I can promise that Kersea has no intention of staying longer than necessary, if only so that she's not going to put the man that saved her life and his family at risk. Though she certainly doesn't like him, she knows that Alan has a point.
[Tell him the truth about Kersea] Damn right we should. My boi Alan might be a hypocrite, but Leonard deserves the truth.
Sadly, we cannot throw Kersea out, like Alan wants.
Comments
Fair argument. My issue here is the eventual consequence of such an open action. Maybe if Sadie 'allies' herself with him there a chance he might eventually leave himself vulnerable. The big issue with me here is that we can tell how this will affect her psychologically. I mean if she does agree to work with Gyles is it because in her mind she honestly believes in loyally working with him?
Okay, again its a good argument. But have you considered what Gyles will do to her for openly attempting to kill him. I doubt it will be anything good.
[Agree to work with Gyles]
Loyally working with who?The guy that use her sister as a sex slave and make her become a drug addict?
[Agree to work with Gyles]
[Try to kill him]
[Try to kill him]
We all know it'll come back to bite us in the ass if we don't. Best to be rid of him now.
[Try to kill him]
It was a sarcastic statement. I was exaggerating a scenario in which she is doing this to trick him, to highlight the fact we don't know what her mindset would be when 'allied' with him.
[Refuse Lanford's offer] I lost Internet connection for a few days and couldn't read/vote so this is what I'll do, just for lols. Mullendore and his goons are gone, for now, so it should be a little safer, at least.
Emphasis on maybe. On paper, Gyles' deal is one I'd consider to be good. Melanie's life gets saved and in return, his life gets spared. Fair deal. The biggest problem here is, how willing are you to trust him with keeping up his end of the bargain? In any way, the withdrawal is going to be hell and could likely become life-threatening. Sadie and Melanie could use any help they can get, but it's really a question if Gyles is offering any genuine help at all or if he is just trying to trick them into sparing his life for nothing in return. But if he actually keeps his word, then yes, that would be a good thing.
[Agree to work with Gyles]
Try? Try ain't good enough. Might as well have less suffering and Melanie at full health. Then we can kill him.
Seriously though let's not cause unnecessary problems especially with that William around,
F...... FUCK THIS GUY!!! Oh my gosh, There's always someone in this story that I end up hating. Surprisingly even more than Mullendore. Seriously, screw Gyles. I'm so mad and disgusted. I also feel really bad for Sadie. She lost her best friend, then her hand and now she finds her sister like this. And in so short a time. It also really pains me that Melanie seemed more excited to see those rations than her own sister. Don't let my anger confuse you though. This was a great part.
[Agree to work with Gyles] As much as I despise the idea of working with him, killing him accomplishes nothing. Even if Sadie manages it, her sister will still be like this. Though I suppose you could say that it'd prevent him from doing this to anyone else but I think Sadie needs to be the better person here.
EDIT: I'm so fucking upset right now that I can't even keep myself from coming back here and editing my comment.
Hehe, it seems I have managed to write another truly hateable character
But yeah, I can fully understand you there. Gyles is a complete asshole and though he cannot be compared to the villainous actions of Mullendore or Wolfius, he surely is someone that can only be loathed. Whereas Mullendore obviously has done much worse, he can at least claim to justify it in his mindset, by having an ulterior goal that he sees as good and just. Gyles meanwhile, well, he's utterly selfish, petty and greedy, there's really no other reason for him to be like this. He's a very grounded and petty villain, no big goals, no insanity, no redeeming qualities (that you know of so far), just a greedy jerk with no morals. I can see how that brings up a whole different set of emotions compared to many other antagonists in the story. At the same time, Gyles is at least less of a threat, given that his base of power, Leo and his sellswords, is basically about to abandon him.
Aye, and out of the three huge tragedies in her life, this one is arguably even the one she can cope with the least. Even losing her hand is not as painful as realizing that the sister she loves so much and whom she has spent years looking for is potentially even lost for her. While the final word is not spoken in this situation, things at least look really grim for her and it will be a lot of work for her to build her sister back up, in a time in which she herself is the one that could need help and support almost as much. And well, I am happy that this part caused such strong emotions! Surely, there are more enjoyable parts in terms of the events that happen, but being a part of key importance for Sadie's future storyline, I am glad you felt about it so strongly
The Voting is closed!
Sadie is going to try to kill Gyles
Indeed the emphasis is on try here. She can probably manage to get Rhogarn's knife, but other than that, it is doubtful if she truly succeeds at killing Gyles, considering that she is still barely in the process of recovering and very weak after a traumatic injury and two full days of sleep. This is very much a choice Sadie will make in a very emotional state, so that doesn't really add to her chances at succeeding. Of course, if she'd be in her prime, a guy like Gyles wouldn't stand a chance, but as it is, he's probably able to survive. That said, there will be consequences for him as well, which we will explore in greater detail in Book 2. For now, this concludes Sadie's storyline for Book 1, but there will be big things to come for her in Book 2, a lot of stuff I am very excited about.
Now, I wasn't sure about closing the voting today, but I think I might better do it before we receive a vote tie. That's the main reason for the voting being closed at such an unusual time. I was not sure if I manage to finish this part today, but as it is, I have made good progress and should theoretically be able to put it out in the next couple of hours. This next part will conclude the storylines of Jenna and Richard for Book 1. I also noticed it's been over two months since Jenna's latest part and man, I really thought I'd be able to finish this chapter a bit faster than that
Anyways, a recap is almost certainly required here. Last time we saw her, Jenna had just encountered Leonard, who was trying to hide after not making it out of the castle in time. He was found by an old acquaintance, a Vyrwel knight by the name of Hugo Farnham, who tried to convince Leonard to come with him to Petyr and Mullendore without a fight. However, Jenna managed to distract him long enough for Saerya to bring Leonard to her room, where they discussed their next step. Both, Saerya and Leonard had differing ideas on how to smuggle him out of the castle and eventually, Jenna agreed with Leonard, who suggested a direct role for her to distract Vyrwel's guards. Recently, John and Daghan also agreed to help them in exchange for Saerya's help in finding Janae. Meanwhile, Richard's latest part hasn't been that long ago. Initially, he was seen checking up with a couple of people after the raid, including Hal, Mathea and a grieving Carma, before returning home. You remember, he saved Kersea's life during the raid. By now, he has brought her to his house and started to treat her wounds. His latest part started after she woke up again. They had a brief talk about her involvement with Mullendore, though before she could get to the interesting parts, Alan intervened by being a general pain in the ass. He insisted on being present for this talk and despite his negative feelings on Alan, Richard ultimately agreed to grant him this little favour.
So, for some reason I thought of this. You know what would be a really stupid character in this story?
A General Grievous-expy.
Just imagine him coughing all the time and feared yet completely incompetent.
Maybe the Donnel will need one...
"Your Valyrian steel sword will make a fine addition to my collection."
Today on characters I never thought to see discussed for FoT
That said, I do remember Grievous to be actually legitimately menacing in the original Clone Wars series (not the newer one), where he took down six Jedi at once. He wasn't always the weak meme from Revenge of the Sith, you know. Though as much as I love the character, I doubt I could take him seriously even in the slightest. Sooner or later, every character would greet him with the words "Hello there".
Yes, I remember seeing it before I saw the newer series, and I rewatched his scenes many times, so of course I am familiar with his once badass state. That was freaking awesome, but you know, Revenge of the Sith kind of took a dump on our favorite cyborg in terms of fear factor (especially with that goddamn cough). This is what you are referring to:
The newer Clone Wars series largely reinforced that persona of weak meme, although he did have his moments ("Lair of Grievous", "Grievous Intrigue", "Massacre"), and unfortunately since the show was cancelled by Disney, we never got to see Grievous vs. Darth Maul on screen, only in the Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir comics.
At least some memes of Grievous are funny:
I can barely take him seriously in the movies, but you know, he's not totally a joke. I can perfectly visual an interaction between a FoT General Grievous and like Jenna, because I don't even think she would be intimidated.
Did you ever watch the newer Clone Wars series?
Aye, that is the scene I meant! I saw it by chance and safe to say, it left one hell of an impression on me as a ten-year old. That should have been him in the movie as well, but for reasons unknown, they really messed him up there. I still enjoyed him back when first watching it though, it was only in later years that I came to realize how ridiculous his movie version has been. The cough sort of ruined it. I mean, I never quite understood why a cyborg with only a bare minimum of organic parts is even capable of coughing.
Grievous vs Maul, now that I would have loved to see. I probably should try to get my hands on these comics, didn't know about them so far. I remember that Grievous was somewhat better in the series than in the movie though, but to be fair, given how incompetent he was in the movie, anything would have been an improvement.
Hehe, I doubt Jenna would be intimidated by a Grievous-expy from the movies, even if he is indeed not a complete joke. He'd try, yeah, but anyone braver than pre-development Jenna wouldn't be impressed. That said, the original Grievous would have been terrifying to her. Given that even movie-Grievous looked pretty badass though, I do think such a scene would hold some visual potential, even if a Grievous character would obviously look a tiny bit different from the source material.
Half of it. I have watched all of the first three seasons, but anything after it, I haven't, as new schedules in school made me lose track of it. Though I have seen parts of it later on and basically know the most important plot points. Maybe I should rewatch the series in its entirey, as I can hardly remember some of the earlier parts.
Jenna
The closer Jenna got to the moment they would approach the gates, the more nervous she grew. What if they'd see through her lie? Ah, whom was she kidding? They would see right through her, probably already did. Jenna had no illusions about this. She was blushing vividly, knowing fully well how suspicious she was acting, yet any attempt at being more secretive only caused her to feel more anxious.
“Breathe easy, Jenna”, Saerya whispered, sitting on the cart right next to her. Though even she seemed slightly uneasy. Surely, the smell didn't help either. They had filled the cart with corpses and quite some of them were already developing a stench. She imagined how much worse it had to be for Leonard, lying beneath them.
As she gave the other woman a stressed look, Saerya smirked. “And through your mouth”, she added. “Seven, that stench...” Next to her, Daghan the Targaryen knight was standing and he gave her a curious glance. He was intimidating, even more than the other man and Jenna was glad that Saerya was between them. In any other situation, she would have been terrified by him, though right now, the horror of what she was about to do was so much worse.
“Eh, it can't be worse than Qoherys. Remember that time you walked in on him and that...”, Daghan chuckled and for a moment, Saerya narrowed her eyes, before widening them in horror. “Oh, gods!”, she exclaimed, as she managed to simultaneously look disgusted and amused. “Oh no, I almost forgot that one!” She began to chime in on his chuckling, though she also gave him a hard, playful punch against the upper arm. “You arse!”, she gasped.
Jenna raised an eyebrow, as she once again glanced around the corner. “What are you talking about?”, she asked and Saerya grinned. “Old stories. You really don't want to know that”, she answered decidedly. “I wish I wouldn't, but hells, I'll never get that stench out of my nose again” She glared at Daghan, who shrugged apologetically. “Hey, you've been smiling”, he said and she rolled her eyes. “Just prepare for your part, you big oaf”, she sighed.
With this, she directed her attention back to Jenna. “Are you ready?”, she asked and nervously, Jenna gave her a nod. “What if I fail?”, she asked in return. Saerya did not reply, though Leonard cleared his throat from behind her. “Yeah... could you not?”, he asked and his voice sounded stressed. “I only wish we could have helped Flowers...”
“Maybe once we got you out of here”, Jenna brought up, looking at Saerya. The other woman frowned. “That'll be even harder”, she admitted, before she glanced over her shoulder. “We'll try. Can't promise anything, but we'll try. Now, try to look as dead as possible. Don't move, take only shallow breaths” Leonard groaned. “That won't be a problem”, he mumbled.
“So, about your help”, the one-eyed sellsword growled. John, that was his name. Saerya gave him a bright smile and he seemed to mellow down at this sight. “I mean, what can I expect?”, he mumbled. “My very best”, Saerya promised. “I don't know if I will be able to find your friend, but I should get you a lead on where she is”
John was silent for a moment. “That'll suffice”, he agreed. “Me and my men will do the rest. We lost people in this raid, but I should still get a handful of trained fighters” Saerya nodded. “Then gather them once we're done here. I'll meet you and Daghan at the tavern when I delivered our wayward knight” Her smile faded slightly. “It's possible that she has left the city. You better prepare for a longer journey, just in case”
Finally, Saerya started to move the cart, steering the horses around the corner, while Jenna threw another look at the two men that were going to help her. She was scared of them, but frankly, she was scared of most people and since Saerya so obviously trusted them, she was willing to do the same. Though their involvement hasn't made things much easier for her, when it came to her fear of failing.
Saerya however was smiling in anticipation. “You can do this”, she assured her. “Just act with them like you did with the knight” Jenna gulped. “That was something else”, she protested and Saerya shook her head. “The same thing entirely”, she argued. “Now, focus”
The gate was guarded by two men, neither of them looked familiar to Jenna. They wore black and red, the colours of House Vyrwel and seemed confident in their position. Her own role in this was clear. She had to sweet talk them, convince them to let them pass without looking too closely at the corpses, so that they might ignore the one that was still breathing.
Only shortly before she reached the gate, a thought flashed through her mind. It was a truly terrifying one, a memory of Wolfius. A briefly as she had met him, as much as she hoped and prayed that she would never see him again, this was a memory to be afraid of. Her current situation was nothing compared to it. She had survived Wolfius, she would survive this right here. And in that moment, she actually gained confidence.
“Slow down”, one of the guards ordered. It was the man closer to Saerya, a young guard with a serious face, a mild frown on it. He didn't even light up when Saerya followed his order, giving him a smile that would have given any man weak knees.
In contrast, Jenna's guard was an older man, who looked stern, yet slightly bored at the same time. He glanced at her only once and to her surprise, he reciprocated her smile. “What do we have here?”, he asked. “Do they send servants to dispose of the corpses now?”
Though he looked at Jenna, she quickly stared at Saerya, hoping that the other woman would answer the question in her stead. Saerya did, as she leant forwards, her smile now warmer and more familiar as she looked at the still unmoved young man in front of her. “The men have better things to do”, she said. “We have been asked to bring these to the others”
“Should be one of the last”, the older man said and Jenna nodded. “I hope so”, she admitted, to which he gave her a warm smile. “Don't be scared of the dead, girl”, he told her and she shook her head. “I'm not”, she answered firmly as she smiled proudly. “Well then”, the man continued. “You better get this over with. Go along, bring these poor bastards to the others”
The younger man instantly shook his head. “Not so fast”, he growled. “You know the order. Check the cart” The older man sighed. “You sure that's necessary? We're looking for a knight, not for two young girls”, he complained, before he looked at Jenna. “Have you seen one? Young man, goes by the name of Leonard Constantine. He's a dangerous criminal”
Jenna shook her head. “Can't say I have”, she replied and she knew, he was convinced. The other one was very much the problem and Saerya had surprising problems winning him over. “Ser, we really have to hurry”, she argued. “If we don't get this done soon, we'll be in trouble”
Still, the young man only shook his head. “Sorry, but that's none of our business”, he told her. “We have our orders and they are very clear. Search the cart!” The older man sighed. “Boy, you're too excited about this job”, he complained, though he followed the order reluctantly. Jenna glanced over her shoulder in horror, as he lifted up one of the corpses. Below it, she could already see Leonard's auburn hair.
“Seriously, they are all dead”, the guard complained, as he put the corpse down again. The younger man rolled his eyes, though he nodded. “I'm not happy about this either”, he answered and gave Saerya an apologetic smile, the first time he even seemed to truly acknowledge her. “We'll try to make it quick”
It was in this moment that their distraction hit. From below the corner, John came staggering, after Daghan heavily pushed him. “You take that back!”, the bald knight roared and John managed to stagger to the mid of the courtyard. The two guards exchanged alarmed looks and Jenna knew what they were thinking right now. Neither John nor Daghan was someone to be left unchecked, especially when they were in the process of getting into a fight.
“Damn it...”, the younger man mumbled. “You continue with the cart. I keep these two in line!” He rushed to the men, as Daghan slowly approached John. The knight was playing his role perfectly and in this moment, Jenna would have been terrified if he'd try to get to her.
The older man was left at the cart and he sighed bitterly. “Sure, leave me alone”, he mumbled, as he half-heartedly put a hand onto the neck of the next corpse, checking the dead man's pulse. Jenna climbed down the cart. “May I help you?”, she offered and the man smiled warmly. “If you want”, he answered. “Seven Hells, you're really in a hurry, aren't you?”
Jenna nodded shyly, as she climbed onto the wheel to lean over the edge of the cart. The guard pulled up another corpse, a dead Ironborn, looking at it with disgust. Beneath him, Jenna spotted Leonard. The knight's fists were clenched and though his breaths were shallow, she knew he was still alive and was not sure if he would have fooled anyone. Putting two fingers onto his neck, she shook his head. “Still dead”, she replied.
With a groan, the guard put the dead Ironborn back onto Leonard. “This one bled on me”, he complained. “Ah, disgusting” He sighed. “I think you're good. Get on with this before my friend is back” He waved into the direction of the gate and Jenna smiled thankfully.
Quickly, she climbed back onto the cart, as Saerya started moving it. Only as they had passed the gate did she allow herself to smile with relief. Saerya did the same. “See”, she spoke. “I told you you'll do this. Wasn't all that hard, was it?”
Jenna sighed, as she shook her head. “I'd rather not do this again”, she admitted, as she didn't even dare to look back. “What's next?” Saerya's smile faded. “Now, we shall deliver our knight to your father's farm. I'll have a talk with him in time, after I helped John and Daghan”, she answered. “And then, Sweet, then we will do whatever we can to help your people and my king”
No Choices for this part
Richard
Alan sat there, his mouth slightly open as Kersea had finished her tale. “So... you are working for Butterfly”, he gasped and Richard raised an eyebrow. “You heard of this man before?”, he asked. He himself had taken Kersea's story calmly, though he felt deeply uncomfortable at what he had just heard. He pitied her, that much was for sure. But just the thought of how deeply she and her group had been involved in the events that caused his city to go downhill was unsettling. In an odd way though, he was glad that he saved her. Her knowledge, her skills and what he interpreted as a genuine desire to redeem herself, it would be useful in the things to come.
“Heard of him”, Alan answered. “You don't get to live in Oldtown without hearing about Butterfly. He controls the city. If you follow the law, you have nothing to fear. Unfortunately...” His crooked smile was all Richard had to know and he didn't ask any further.
Instead, he turned to Kersea, who looked at him silently. Her wound left her in pain, though there was something else in her eyes as well, a deeper agony and loss. And he saw the shame about her own role in this. “Do you think he might be after you?”
She thought about this for a moment. “Could be” she admitted. “He held my sister hostage for years just to keep me loyal” She closed her eyes. “And now Briar might be gone again”, she gasped. “Once I have recovered, I have to find her. Have to find out what happened to her”
Richard gave her a nod. “We'll find her”, he promised, though he noticed how Alan tensed up. “Wait a moment...”, his brother mumbled. “Could we get back to the point where you're working for Butterfly? That fucking beast?”
“Worked”, Kersea clarified. “My life is my own again. If I get my hands on that man, I will make him pay for the life he stole” Alan seemed to be not less alarmed, as genuine as her words seemed. “Bloody hell, we have a rogue killer in our house now”, he muttered. “Richard, you have to kick her out! We cannot be linked to her or anything about Butterfly, really. He'll find her and then we'll be dead with her!”
Kersea sighed, not seeming surprised, though Richard glared at his brother. “I will not just throw her out”, he replied sternly. “She's going to die without our help” Alan rolled his eyes. “She's a dead woman either way. Richard, I know you're daft, but you have to trust me here”, he replied. “Butterfly is not to be toyed with” With a tiny rest of decency, he gave Kersea an apologetic look. “It pains me to say this about such a maiden fair, but you know I am right”
She opened her eyes, looking at him mildly. “You have a point”, she admitted, before she looked back at Richard. “You have been good to me, even when you had no reason to. Saved my life. Brought me to your house instead of the city. I'd probably be already dead there “ She shook her head. “I... am not saying I don't want your help. I doubt I'll make it without you” In clear pain she glanced at her hand, which she had put onto the bandages around her waist. “But I want you to be absolutely sure of the risk”
“Tell me then”, Richard ordered and she gulped. “I don't know if Butterfly will find me”, she answered. “He's not a sorcerer, for all I know. In general, they probably think me dead. Clayton would have returned already if that wouldn't be the case” Her gaze got distant, stern, deadly serious. “If anyone knows I'm here though, you are dead. Your brother is dead. Your daughter is dead. Any friend who happens to be involved in this will die as well. Butterfly is thorough when it comes to lose ends”
“Alright, that's it”, Alan said, as he rose from his chair. “Leave the house. Come on, just do it. We don't need you here, we don't want you here” He attempted to approach her, though Richard held him back. “We're not just throwing her out”, he growled. “You in particular not. Sit down”
Alan rolled his eyes. “That girl is dangerous!”, he warned him and Richard gave him a nod. “That I don't doubt. But I won't kick her out. I'm better than that” He looked back at her. “You say Butterfly has plans for this city?”
Without even hesitating, Kersea gave him a nod. “Big ones”, she answered. “I think it's meant to be a takeover. Murdering your leaders, creating chaos and distrust. Losing the wildfire was a bit of a setback, but all in all, I doubt it'll take long until he succeeds. Then, he himself will come here”
The newcomers flashed through Richard's mind. How timely they arrived, that was not a coincidence. They were led by a man called Vyrwel, he remembered. “Perhaps he already is”, he mumbled, before he looked back at her. “Your knowledge is dangerous to him and he is dangerous to all of us. Perhaps keeping you here will even help with saving my family”
A look of genuine surprise appeared on Kersea's face, followed by a quick, yet genuine smile. It lit up her face, gave her a beauty he hadn't noticed before, as brief as it lasted. “Then I swear, I will do what I can to repay you”, she said. “My blade is yours. If Butterfly and his thugs want to harm to you or the ones you love, they'll have to go through me first”
Alan frowned, before he stood up again. “Yeah, admirable courage. But girl, you're going to put us in danger, worse than that, you're going to put me in danger. You are danger”, he complained, before he looked at Richard. “And you are a complete idiot!” In frustration, he attempted to march out and though Richard wouldn't have stopped him on his own, he stood still all of a sudden, as he looked out of the window. “Oh, for fucks sake”
Richard followed his glance and his eyes widened, as he saw three figures walking up the path to his house. He instantly recognized Jenna and a hopeful smile formed on his face, even if he slightly hesitated as he noticed the other two. One of them was a woman, probably not much older than Jenna herself. She was a dark-haired beauty, not the type he would have expected in a servant's attire. Between them walked a young man that seemed distantly familiar. “Oh fuck...”, he mumbled as he recognized Ser Leonard Constantine.
Quickly, he rushed to the door and opened it, as the trio stopped in front of his door. A relieved smile formed on Leonard's face and he gave the beautiful woman a nod. “I am in your debt”, he thanked her and she raised an eyebrow. “I'm not the one you should thank”, she told him. “She convinced me”
With a grin, Leonard gave Jenna a pat onto the back and she blushed, giving him a shy smile, before she stumbled into Richard' arms. “Jenna, what are you doing?”, he asked, as she sighed in relief at being close to him. “The right thing”, she answered. “What you would have done. He needs our help and I told him he can hide at the farm for a time. It's big enough for four”
Richard separated from his daughter again, though he put his hands onto her shoulder, as a smile of disbelief formed on his face. There was pride as well, but in a way, he felt almost amused by this turn of events. “Oh man...”, he gasped, before he looked at the other two. “We'll talk this out. I won't send you away. For now, you better come in. There is someone you have to meet”
Leonard smiled, as he came closer, extending his hand, a gesture Richard accepted by shaking it. “Thank you”, he said. “I knew you're a good man, but still, this is more than I could have asked for, from you or your daughter”
As the four walked in, they were greeted by a sour-faced Alan, who thankfully remained quiet. However, Richard noticed how Leonard's eyes widened as he spotted Kersea, now sitting in the bed. He seemed surprised to see her, cluing Richard in that he knew her.
“It's you again!”, he said, as he gave her a nod to greet. “I was afraid you died when the lighthouse came down” Kersea gulped, nervous at his presence here, though she managed to reciprocate the gesture. “Almost did”, she admitted. “Richard here saved me”
“And his daughter did the same to me”, Leonard replied, something that caused Jenna to smile proudly. “Oh, well...”, she mumbled, as she blushed from the attention she just received. Leonard chuckled at this, before he turned back to Kersea. “Anyways, glad you survived. Really saved me during the raid”
His words caused Alan to chuckle. “Oh, please. You know nothing about her”, he brought up and Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Now... what is that supposed to mean?”, he asked. “Generally, who are you?” Alan did an elegant bow. “Why, my name is Alan Harking”, Alan introduced himself. “Daring businessman, shrewd investor and...” He caught Richard's glare. “And I am probably going to be quiet now. Since my brother knows everything better than me, he can tell you the problem about our pretty guest”
He quickly attempted to walk away, though stopped when he spotted Saerya. His eyes widened slightly and with a grin, he remained nearby. She frowned at his lecherous expression, though said nothing about it, as curiosity appeared on her face.
“What does he mean?”, Leonard asked in a friendly tone. “Are you two up to anything I should know?” Richard caused the look on Kersea's face and immediately realized what she meant. Obviously, there were some parts of her story the knight might not react too kindly about. Sharing the house with a former professional killer, he would probably not be too thrilled about it. And perhaps, for the sake of peace in his house, it would be better to hide at least the most concerning parts of her story. At the same time, maybe he deserved the truth. Maybe hiding this would lead only to bigger problems later on. Richard sighed and looked up at them, having made his decision.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea] [Keep some of the details for yourself]
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea]
Oh boy. Stuck between a rock and a hard place.
It was tense with the corpse cart. But ol' Leonard pulled through. He probably would have been found if John didn't help. I am glad he wasn't obviously.
To be honest, Alan makes some good points, it's a shame he's generally an unsympathetic character. It's a party at the Harking farm.
One of these choices will likely lead to immediate anger, but it will probably subside. But if we lie, or in this case, don't tell the whole truth, and Leonard finds out, he will be absolutely furious and lose any trust in Richard. Also, he would be pissed at Kersea too. Lying is never cool, and Leonard will agree, so so heavily.
My boy Leonard has survived a book (it seems). What an accomplishment. Yippee.
It did the same for me. There is another Grievous-action sequence (set right before the Battle of Coruscant) where he gets his chest crushed by Mace Windu, severely injuring him and giving him his cough. The newer animated (canon) series made it so his cough always existed, and that Grievous was always crappy. I'm pretty sure only scant details of Grievous were given to the creators of the 2003 series, and there wasn't too much coordination, so he can up pretty mediocre.
Yeah, they are adaptations of finished scripts of 4 episodes from Season 6 of the Clone Wars that weren't animated before the cancellation. You would be best in watching the Clone Wars (at least the Darth Maul episodes) before reading it to understand the context. Here's a picture of Maul and Grievous:
On looks, oh yeah. Grievous definitely has an awesome design. But the movie one with the coughs, just ack.
It's definitely worth a rewatch. I watched the whole series when they came out originally, and I recently have begun to rewatch the series on Netflix. After getting through the roughness of Season 1 and 2, I just finished the Savage Oppress arc in Season 3 (which incidentally ends with the Maul being alive reveal). Season 4, 5, and the released bits of Season 6 (The Lost Missions) have some of the finest animated work ever done. In fact, there's some stuff in here I believe you as an author would appreciate for influences. My favorite arc in the entire series is in Season 4 and features the voice work of none other than Dave Fennoy, and of course Sam Witwer is in the other storylines. The good General Grievous has some shiny moments in Season 4 too.
Even if you don't want to rewatch the whole first 3 seasons, I'd recommend the rest. I also recommend Star Wars Rebels, which, like the Clone Wars, starts out rough but steadily improves (and will surely have a kickass final season). But definitely save that for after the Clone Wars, because Rebels is in many ways (especially after Season 1) the sequel to the Clone Wars, with numerous characters and storylines continuing from it.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea]
This choice brings me back to the time when Lunett held back the truth from Lucas and Leonard about visiting Oldtown. Knowing Leonard, he will be outright pissed if we withhold any info from him. Better to tell him sooner than later.
I'd love to see him and Hobert in a yelling match. That would be comedy gold.
If Leonard is going to find the truth eventually, better to [Tell him the full truth about Kersea] now and avoid shenanigans down the road.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea]
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea] It's better that Leonard know now Kersea story and dislike her for her past than make him discover,maybe even in a dangerous position,that she worked for Butterfly
RT:
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea] It's better to stay honest, especially since we are dealing with Leonard here, who famously hates being lied to. And let's be honest, more than likely he will learn the full truth sooner or later anyway. Learning who and what Kersea exactly is might sour Leonard's opinion on her for now, but at least she and Richard will have a chance to eventually end up on his good side again. Something I doubt would be possible if they were caught lying to him.
And Jenna was her adorable yet amazing self once again, the corpse cart scene was great
I'm really interested to see what will be the next steps in Jenna' storyline and character development!
Indeed, John was the deciding factor here. If not for him, Leonard would have been found, resulting obviously in huge problems for him, but for Jenna and Saerya as well (even if these two could have managed to get out of this situation again)
Well, occasionally he does make good points. Right here, he is correct about the danger Kersea poses. The same goes to Leonard, as both are wanted by Mullendore. Of course, he is more than a bit hypocritically here, as he himself had to leave Oldtown due to getting into trouble with the wrong people. Though the ones looking for him are not even nearly as dangerous as Mullendore, he's still putting Richard and Jenna at risk himself. Still, he is not wrong about his assumption here. In trope terms, this one describes the situation pretty well. He's a hypocritical jerk, but occasionally, he brings up good arguments that are not clouded by Richard's morality.
He did! I can confirm that this is Leonard's last appearance for Book 1, so he has indeed made it through the entirety of Book 1, together with a handful of other survivors from the very first chapter. Of course, Chapter 9 will not end without some death in the next three parts, but it won't be Leonard's. I'm still having plans for him in Book 2. That said, the alternative choices will show you that there could have been a way for him to die in this chapter, even if it was a relatively unlikely one (as the choices leading to Leonard's survival were rather obvious this time).
Yeah, that is a scene I am glad to see remembered. Lunett eventually came clean to Leonard and he was pissed, even if it was a relatively small lie. True, he warmed up to her again, just in time to see her brutally murdered by Mullendore, but it took him a while. Kersea's lie would be bigger and more severe, as she actually has something terrible to hide. In this case however, it is unlikely she'd come clean to him by herself.
Oh, that would be great! Surely, I'd love such a scene as well, especially since Hobert and Alan have so many similarities. Unlike Alan, Hobert has some power to back his huge ego, but at the core, they are super similar. They'd probably realize this and as a result really not get along with each other.
It did! However, this was only because of your most recent John choice. On its own, without his help, the plan would have failed, Leonard would have been captured and this would have had serious consequences. Saerya's plan meanwhile would have worked even without John. This is the main reason why the Jenna choice for her to decide on a strategy will be one of the big choices of Chapter 9. All in all, Saerya's plan would have worked better, but thanks to John, the end result is the same now.
And probably one I will allude to again in the future
These two got a past with the people at Dragonstone (The Qoherys in question being obviously a member of the Targaryen servant house of Qoherys) and Book 2 is probably going to show at least one of them in their familiar surroundings again.
For a moment I was confused by this, as I thought you meant John's last part in the entire story
But yeah, this was indeed a bit of a teaser for what he's going to try in his next part. Gathering his remaining companions, waiting for Saerya, then chasing after Janae. We'll see if it all works out according to plan.
She chose the plan and she basically made it work. Saerya would have rather tried her own, which she saw as safer, but well, thanks to Jenna, this one led to a good ending. I can confirm that if she would have died earlier, this wouldn't have been possible. Probably, Saerya wouldn't have cared at all.
As I said to InGen, Alan has a point, but you have one as well. Kersea is a danger (and you can bet that they will have the same discussion about Leonard), but Alan ignores the fact that he himself is a danger as well and unlike Kersea (who spared Richard's life) and Leonard (whom Richard generally respects), he outright harmed him by cheating him out of his inheritance. So, yeah, he's a hypocrite, as he always is, but that doesn't automatically mean that everything he says is wrong.
They are two chronic heroes with a case of helper syndrome. Undeniably, people like them are needed in Raylansfair at this moment. And especially Richard has a history of saving others. With Jenna growing up in the recent chapters, she starts to feel the same, which highly motivated her desire to help Leonard in this chapter.
Things will be tense, that much I can promise. There's Alan, who doesn't want either at the farm, Jenna who is still not fully at the end of her development and Richard who has to keep an eye on both. His guests consist of a fugitive knight who is sought after by the rulers of the city and a heavily wounded assassin, who might not be actively looked for, but whose presence would put the entire Harking family at risk. Indeed, Kersea's wound will affect her heavily during the coming months, as she only barely avoided a critical injury. Meanwhile, tensions will surely run high between Alan, Leonard and Kersea. It's not easy being the good guy, as poor Richard is surely going to find out
You know, it is great to hear that the general opinion on Jenna switched from annyoing to adorable and amazing
She has come a long way from the girl she was in Chapter 2 and 3 and one of the few in Book 1 that already grew on their hardships. Things won't get any easier in Book 2, but the coming events will also lead her into a new and probably even somewhat surprising direction.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea]
Guess I'll go along with everyone else on this one.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea]
[Tell him the truth about Kersea] Damn right we should. My boi Alan might be a hypocrite, but Leonard deserves the truth.
Sadly, we cannot throw Kersea out, like Alan wants.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea]
I can surely understand why you'd prefer such an option
Ah, I'm afraid that would go against Richard's entire personality, so he's certainly not going to throw her out until she's fully recovered from her injury. That said, I can promise that Kersea has no intention of staying longer than necessary, if only so that she's not going to put the man that saved her life and his family at risk. Though she certainly doesn't like him, she knows that Alan has a point.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea]
Wouldn't want Leonard to get Kersea killed further down the line.
[Tell him the full truth about Kersea]
ATTENTION EVERYONE!
ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORUNITY HERE
I have a very special teaser for you from an upcoming scene in a coming chapter.
Lucas's trial by combat.
Enjoy: