[Intervene]
[Agree to support Hobert openly] He is a little overconfident, but I think he'll keep his promise if he indeed becomes the lo… morerd.
And yeah, pretty sure the little girl who needs to be killed is Ellena... I wonder what would people's reaction be to Marak cutting Ellena's head off with his axe Pretty sure he wouldn't be a fan-favorite anymore.
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
[Stay out of it] A skilled warrior in combat against a really fat barkeep with only a spoon. I like those odds if I say so myself.
[Refuse to support Hobert openly] Errrrgggghhhhh this was a tough decision. In one case I want the Rock to be defended, but I don't want Raylainsfair's people to go to a war where they will all burn to death. Plus the Reynes are already screwed. Sorry Wilifred... RIP
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
[Stay out of it] A skilled warrior in combat against a really fat barkeep with only a spoon. I like those odds if I say so myself.
[Refus… moree to support Hobert openly] Errrrgggghhhhh this was a tough decision. In one case I want the Rock to be defended, but I don't want Raylainsfair's people to go to a war where they will all burn to death. Plus the Reynes are already screwed. Sorry Wilifred... RIP
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
[Stay out of it] It's about time we made a bastard choice like this.
[Refuse to support Hobert openly] No stealing Leonard's job. Hobert … morethat bastard.
The girl is definitely Ellena. Let's get her killed in Oldtown to make it easier for my ol' buddy Marak.
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
[Intervene] I can imagine Noelle's target is likely to be Ellena. If that is the case, Marak has no chance in beating Samuel or Terroma for that matter.
[Agree to support Hobert openly] I don't know why, but something's off about Hobert. Gonna keep an eye out for him
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
There's a guy named Lucas Leonard, and one of their neighbors was Jim Constantine. Lucas Leonard was fatally beaten for hours, hopefully this doesn't befall our two knights.
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
So this totally unrelated, but in this article:
http://startpage.lenovo.com/news/read/category/News/hashtag/News/article/the_associated_p… moreress-cops_to_discuss_mans_fatal_beating_inside_new_york-ap
There's a guy named Lucas Leonard, and one of their neighbors was Jim Constantine. Lucas Leonard was fatally beaten for hours, hopefully this doesn't befall our two knights.
So this totally unrelated, but in this article:
http://startpage.lenovo.com/news/read/category/News/hashtag/News/article/the_associated_p… moreress-cops_to_discuss_mans_fatal_beating_inside_new_york-ap
There's a guy named Lucas Leonard, and one of their neighbors was Jim Constantine. Lucas Leonard was fatally beaten for hours, hopefully this doesn't befall our two knights.
The next Gutten part will come soon, very soon actually. He won't be the next part, or the one after that, but the wait won't be that long anymore. There is a reason for his long absence and part of it is poor planning on my part, as I have started his first part too early in my opinion. Another reason for his long absence would potentially slightly spoil the next parts, but it will make sense as soon as the next Gutten part is finished.
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
Yes, Dimitri's fate will be revealed eventually. I have no intentions of leaving any characters fate unknown forever, although I don't know yet when I will reveal Dimitri's fate.
The next Gutten part will come soon, very soon actually. He won't be the next part, or the one after that, but the wait won't be that long a… morenymore. There is a reason for his long absence and part of it is poor planning on my part, as I have started his first part too early in my opinion. Another reason for his long absence would potentially slightly spoil the next parts, but it will make sense as soon as the next Gutten part is finished.
That is a very strange and slightly unnerving coincidence, especially considering how easily the same fate can befall the knights. Actually, Mullendore came pretty close to beat Lucas to death in this chapter in the attempt of getting some confession out of him, which makes this article even creepier. Gosh, I hate fanatics.
So this totally unrelated, but in this article:
http://startpage.lenovo.com/news/read/category/News/hashtag/News/article/the_associated_p… moreress-cops_to_discuss_mans_fatal_beating_inside_new_york-ap
There's a guy named Lucas Leonard, and one of their neighbors was Jim Constantine. Lucas Leonard was fatally beaten for hours, hopefully this doesn't befall our two knights.
The next Gutten part will come soon, very soon actually. He won't be the next part, or the one after that, but the wait won't be that long a… morenymore. There is a reason for his long absence and part of it is poor planning on my part, as I have started his first part too early in my opinion. Another reason for his long absence would potentially slightly spoil the next parts, but it will make sense as soon as the next Gutten part is finished.
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
Marak
“And then I said...”, Marak slurred as he looked at Irving, trying his best to stay focussed. “Then I said... 'That's what she said… more!'” He burst into laughter and after a few, indecisive seconds, Irving joined in. “Hilarious!”, he remarked, even if it was clear that he hasn't even listened.
“Anything the matter?”, Marak asked after a while. It was clear that the other man had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Of course, Marak was almost completely sober. The slurred speech, the unfocussed gaze, that was all intentional. He was amazed that his body automatically managed to do these things, on top of giving him a slight headache. Years of training how to get drunken finally paid off!
Irving let out a sigh. “You know, I'd wish I could tell stories like these. Never had many friends or, well, romantic encounters...”, he mumbled and Marak tried his best to look surprised. “Surprising...”, he muttered as an answer and was indeed surpr… [view original content]
Especially the Willfred choice was very huge, definitely among the most important choices in this chapter and with consequences in the short and in the very long run. You will definitely see the consequences coming from this in the next chapter.
The next part should be ready today. It has to be ready today, since I want to finish this huge chapter as soon as possible. While the last part was the Chapter finale for Willfred's and Marak's storyline, the next part will finish the storylines of Lyria and Maya. The Lyria part is already written and I am determined to finish the Maya part as well today.
The Voting is closed!
Marak will intervene
Willfred will agree to support Hobert openly
Especially the Willfred choice was very hug… moree, definitely among the most important choices in this chapter and with consequences in the short and in the very long run. You will definitely see the consequences coming from this in the next chapter.
The next part should be ready today. It has to be ready today, since I want to finish this huge chapter as soon as possible. While the last part was the Chapter finale for Willfred's and Marak's storyline, the next part will finish the storylines of Lyria and Maya. The Lyria part is already written and I am determined to finish the Maya part as well today.
For this chapter at least, yes. She is among the PoV's who need a slightly longer build-up for their storyline, but eventually she will come to a point where I can write more parts for her in each chapter.
For this chapter at least, yes. She is among the PoV's who need a slightly longer build-up for their storyline, but eventually she will come to a point where I can write more parts for her in each chapter.
That's very good to hear. I definitely enjoy writing her and character-wise she's among my favourite PoV's, so I am glad to hear that you like her as well. I always try to find more stuff for her to do, only to come to a point where I realize that other storylines needs to move forward first. At least it's not as bad as Marak, who mostly had filler for the last two chapters. But there are big plans for Maya and while I can't promise it 100%, there is a good chance that she might get a longer storyline in the next chapter.
“I won't do it”, Lyria mumbled, her voice getting stronger and more angry with every second. “You're just going to kill her if I give up on my weapon” She glared at Wolfius, who had a twisted grin on his face. “Oh, what a clever little blacksmith you are”, he complimented her. “But now, I'm going to kill her anyway” With these words, he started to apply pressure on his knife, causing the edge to slightly cut into Rosalie's belly.
The sound of her daughter crying in pain caused Lyria to boil with anger. She raised her hammer and charged at Wolfius, only to stop dead in her tracks as Wolfius pushed the knife deeper into Rosalie's belly, this time deep enough to stain her dress with blood. “For every step you take closer towards me, I'm going to hurt her a bit more”, Wolfius growled. “So, think hard about your next action” Lyria just stood there, frozen in terror, as Rosalie let out increasingly panicked screams, before her body quickly grew limp.
“Huh...”, Wolfius mumbled in genuine surprise. “Looks like your little whore is dead now” Just as he said this, he slightly shook Rosalie, who just hung in his arms, no sign of life. Lyria was hardly noticing the sick grin on his face, she was only able to look at her daughter. No... this couldn't be...
Finally, Wolfius let out a sigh and let go of Rosalie, who was still bleeding heavily. “I barely started with her. She was weak”, he grinned. “I did you a favour, freeing you from her” As her daughter sank to the ground, so did Lyria, desperate tears of anger in her eyes. The moment Rosalie's body hit the floor, she let out a pained groan, opening her eyes for a moment.
“Get him, mother”, she mumbled weakly, just as Wolfius violently kicked her in the lower back. “Think you're clever, bitch? Tricking me, playing dead... that won't safe you, you little...”, he spat, before he was cut off by Lyria's hammer hitting his cheek and sending him to the ground.
“Ow, you...”, he managed to howl, his speech sounding slurred, as Lyria raised her hammer again. For a moment, she hoped to see fear in Wolfius' eye as he glared at her, but what she instead saw was violent anger. “You bitch!”, he screamed as he jumped up, giving her a heavy blow to the chin before she was able to strike him again.
As Lyria staggered backwards, Wolfius darted forwards and slashed the knife across her face. Only her reflexes prevented him from slashing her throat. Instead, he crude blade hit her cheek, deeply cutting through it and severing the lower part of her left earlobe. Wolfius gave her no time to wince back, as he attacked again, this time slashing across her forehead horizontally, almost hitting her eyes in the process.
Lyria fell to the ground in pain and dropped her hammer in the process. Blood flew down from her forehead and into her eyes. Almost blinded, unable to see properly, she moved her hands over the ground, frantically searching for her hammer. Wolfius disturbingly joyful laughter sounded in her ears and in the next moment, she felt his heavy boot stepping onto her right hand.
“My dear blacksmith Mettel, I'm going to enjoy this”, he growled. “It will take a while, but first I will...” He was cut off by a new, male voice, shouting from the outside. “Hey!”, the man yelled. “Get away from her!” In her dizzy, barely conscious state, Lyria remembered the open window. Someone saw them, someone would help them...
Pain, horrible pain flashed through her right arm, as Wolfius violently stomped onto her wrist, breaking it in the process. For a short moment, she was wide awake again, before the familiar, dizzy feeling returned. She felt Wolfius hand grabbing her hair, could feel his breath on her wounded ear. “Looks like you're going to live for another day”, he hissed, his voice shivering with hatred. “Although I doubt your daughter will survive the night. And now you know, I can always kill you. Whenever I want. Sleep well tonight, Lyria”
The heavy steps of someone running towards the window were audible and Wolfius released the pressure from her broken wrist and let go of her hair. Unable to keep her head up by her own strength, Lyria fell back onto the floor, heavily hitting her head. Just as Wolfius ran out of the backdoor, her savior jumped through the window.
“Lyria!”, the man yelled. “Lyria, do you hear me? Stay with me!” His voice sounded slightly familiar. “Rosie...”, she mumbled weakly and despite the blood in her eyes she saw that the man knelt down next to her daughter. “Fuck...”, he mumbled and Lyria finally found the strength to raise her left hand and to wipe the blood out of her eyes. Kneeling above Rosalie, a look of sheer terror on his face, stood Arthur Nathamer.
“Is she...”, Lyria managed to utter, trying to get back on her knees with her one good hand. Arthur's green eyes showed the shock he was in, his hands already stained with Rosalie's blood. “She is still alive”, he said and the relief almost sent Lyria back on the ground. “But I don't know for how long. We have to bring her to a healer”
“Healer?”, Lyria mumbled in confusion. “Eaton... he was the only one we had” Arthur quickly shook his head. “There is another one. A young woman, only a visitor in Raylansfair. Eaton had called for her when Lord Robert was sick, but she arrived too late to help him. Her name is... Mathea, I think”, he explained and a determined expression appeared on his face. “Perhaps she can still save your daughter” With these words, he effortlessly lifted Rosalie up in the air, gently holding her in his arms. “Lyria, I need you to come with me. It's not save here”, he urged her and despite the pain, despite the tiredness, Lyria managed to stagger back to her feet.
Out of her bloodshot eyes, she saw that Arthur gave her a weak smile, as he quickly turned to the backdoor. “Come on, follow me. You have to stay near me, but I can't slow down”, he exclaimed, as he already rushed out of the house. Lyria followed closely, mobilizing her last reserves to keep up with the guardsman.
“Where are we going?”, she asked with a low voice and Arthur looked over his shoulder, not slowing down in the slightest. “Father and I greeted her in this city on Eaton's behalf two weeks ago. She currently lives in a small house near the northern southern wall”, he explained and quickened his steps, up to the point where Lyria had problems following him. At this point, his tabard was stained with Rosalie's blood and Lyria realized that he was almost in a shock. But he managed to show a strength she was lacking at the moment. Lyria concentrated on him, followed him in a trance, through the nightly streets of Raylansfair. She felt watched.
It felt like hours until Arthur finally stopped in front of a small house, nothing more than a rundown shack, even though Lyria knew they had only walked for a few minutes. The house itself was as dark as the surrounding night, not a single light visible inside. “Damn it...”, Arthur mumbled, as he tried his best to knock on the door, still holding Rosalie in his arms.
“Hey!”, he yelled at the top of his lungs. “Please, we need your help! Open the door!” His knocking at the door soon turned into pounding, then he started to kick the door with his feet, while Lyria only managed to stay on her feet, leaning against the wall, her gaze fixed on the still breathing Rosalie. Her daughter had lost consciousness by now, she looked so pale, so cold, so frail...
Finally, she saw the light of a freshly ignited candle shining through the window, then she heard soft footsteps, until finally the door was opened. Behind it stood a young woman, in her early twenties at most. Her hair was as dark as a crow's feathers, contrasting quite strongly with her pale skin. In the light of the candle she was holding, her eyes had a strangely yellow, almost orange tone, not unlike the candle itself, and from the way she barely kept them open it was clear that Arthur had awoken her. “By the Seven, do you have any idea how late it...”, she started to say with a sleepy voice, before her gaze fell upon the wounded Rosalie and her eyes widened.
“Bring her inside!”, she ordered and her tiredness immediately seemed to be gone, just as her voice gained sharpness. She pushed the door open, revealing a single, simple room, the only furniture being a small bed next to the window, a large table with two chairs and a small cupboard. With quick steps, the woman rushed to the table, cleaning it with a handwave. “Put her on here!”, she ordered hastily. “I need room to look at her.
While Arthur did as he was told, the healer rushed to the cupboard, quickly pulling out a small bag. She shortly glanced at Lyria, her eyes full of worry. “Lay down on the bed”, she ordered softly. “I'll look after you once I've helped her”
She quickly rushed back to Rosalie, while Lyria did as she was ordered to do. Barely conscious, she laid down on the bed, the only thing that kept her awake was the pain and the fear of loosing her daughter. “So...”, Arthur mumbled, as the healer started to look onto Rosalie's wounds. “Your name is Mathea, right?”
She gave him a short nod, without answering, although her eyes widened as she inspected the wound. “My name is Arthur”, Arthur introduced himself, apparently feeling the need to say something. “The girl is Rosalie, the woman over there is Lyria, her mother” As he said this, Mathea looked up for a moment, at the barely conscious Lyria. She pressed her lips together and quickly looked back at Rosalie. “Can I do anything...”, Arthur again tried to say and this time, Mathea glanced at him. “Cubpoard, upper drawer”, she hastily ordered. “You'll find some candles. Ignite them, I need more light”
“That is a knife wound!”, she exclaimed in surprise. “What happened to her?” Arthur, who started to use the already lit candle to ignite several more, gulped audibly before he found the courage to answer. “She was attacked”, he explained. “By a madman, a serial...” He paused for a moment. “My sister...”, he mumbled. “Seven Hells, I have left my sister alone at home! The man who did this to Rosalie is still out there. I...”
For a moment, Mathea paused her work and looked softly at Arthur. “Go home, Arthur”, she said. “I don't need your help to save Rosalie's life. It's not the first time I do something like this” The guardsman gave her a thankful nod, but before he walked to the door, he gave Lyria a worried look. “Are you sure?”, he asked. “This man could still be out there. He is dangerous and could be...”
Mathea gave him a determined nod. “I am not defenceless”, she assured him. “I will be fine. But what I don't need is someone who is close to a panic while I have to save a girl's life. Go home, you did enough by bringing them here”
Arthur let out a sigh of relief, as he turned to the door. “I will be back in a few hours, once I made sure that Aditha is fine”, he promised, speaking to no one in particular, before he stepped out of the door and into the night. Lyria and Mathea looked after him for a moment, before the healer resumed her work. Lyria glanced out of the window next to her and saw Arthur quickly walking down the streets. A small, stray dog sat on the street, illuminated by the night, calmly looking at the house without moving. After a few moments in which Lyria was almost sure that the animal was looking at her, it turned around and silently followed Arthur. She let out a sigh as she sank back on the bed. She had survived the night, she was still alive. But at what price?
No Choices for this part
Maya
Maya gulped, looking from Harris to Sherryl. “We have been sent to Raylansfair to retrieve a few documents”, she explained. “Old documents that are of personal value to Lord Royce. Just a few old letters from what I've heard. Nothing too important, but he is willing to pay a handsome price for it” She immediately noticed how weak this lie was and suppressed the urge to sigh. Then again, she had managed to successfully tell weaker lies before.
The expression on Harris' stern face changed, into one of slight anger. He looked at his beautiful advisor and even though he seemed to calm down a bit the moment he lay eyes on her, his gaze immediately hardened as he glanced back at Maya. “You have been right, my love”, he spoke and Sherryl gave him a bright smile.
“I know what kind of document you want, Ambassador Iresons”, Harris revealed to Maya's surprise. “I have known it for a while now. Your precious kingdom is in danger. Argilac the Arrogant plans to invade you and the Bronze Lord sent you in a desperate attempt of stealing these documents, isn't that right?”
Maya and Ser Aldrik exchanged a surprised glance, before she looked back at Harris. “Lord Harris, this is wrong. We had no intentions of stealing your...”, Ser Aldrik tried to intervene, but he was cut off by Harris, who slammed his fist down onto the table. “Silence!”, he yelled. “I am not talking to you”
He moved his piercing green eyes back at Maya, who slightly shivered as she saw the anger in them. “Sherryl warned me not to trust you, that you would tell me lies to get whatever you want. Against her advice, I decided to give you a chance”, he growled. “You proved her right by lying to me”
“Lord Harris”, Maya answered, trying her best to stay calm. “My kingdom, my people need these documents. I can only ask for your forgiveness, I never meant to anger you. I was simply afraid you would refuse to give us these documents, should I tell you about their true importance”
“A justified fear”, Sherryl remarked with a frustrating smirk. “After all, why should Lord Harris anger the Storm King by giving you these documents?” The two women glared at each other and Maya saw a catty joy in Sherryl's eyes. As if she noticed Maya's confusion, the smirk on her face turned infuriatingly wide. “Argella Durrandon is on her way to Raylansfair”
“Exactly”, Harris remarked sullenly and Maya noticed that her mouth stood slightly open. “Mylord, how do you know all of this?”, she asked. Harris let out a sigh, half out of annoyance, half out of regret. “Sherryl knows a lot of things. She is a well-connected woman”, he explained. “Thanks to her advice, I can prepare for the coming storm. I can do the necessary things to protect my own people”
“And what is with my people?”, Maya asked, as she thought about her family, about her friends, about Gregar, Irving, Aldrik, hell, even about Lord Royce. “If your precious Lady Sherryl knows so much, you know how the Storm King wages his wars. Are you really willing to doom thousands just to please Argilac Durrandon?”
Harris shook his head. “I am willing to doom millions more if it means that my people stay safe. This is the duty of a lord. I find no joy in what I have to do, Ambassador, but it is my only option. Argilac Durrandon plans to take this city and I have to win time if I want to find a way to prevent him from doing so. The last thing I need is his hot-headed daughter loosing her temper in the wrong moment, should she find out that I am helping her father's enemies”
Maya pressed her lips together, suppressing the urge to insult this self-righteous man and the pretty snake at his side, who would gladly doom her kingdom, her family, just to win some time. “You and Lord Royce have a lot in common”, she mumbled and noticed how Sherryl's smirk vanished. “At the very least admit it, Lord Harris Flowers. To save your people, you would even become a murderer” For one moment, Harris facial expression lost every trace of calmness. A bitter, desperate look formed on his face and on Maya's as well. “The dead of the coming war will be on your shoulders”, she hissed.
Harris finally managed to control his face again. Calm, but with shivering voice, her began to speak. “I believe we are done here, Ambassador Iresons”, he growled with an icy cold voice and in this moment, Maya knew that he was a murderer, a true monster. Perhaps he had good intentions and in his case, she might have decided the same way. But just as he had his people to look after, she had her own. The bitter smirk on her face vanished, leaving only an expression of desperation on her face.
“This is not over”, she hissed, but Harris shook his head. “This has been over before it began, Ambassador. Don't test me. You have no idea what I am willing to do for this city” He continued to say something else, but Maya didn't even listen. She spun around and stormed out of the chamber, Ser Aldrik following closely.
“Maya...”, he urged her, but she did not stop. “Maya!”, he tried again, as they had reached the courtyard. Finally, when they had left the castle behind, Maya turned towards him. “This bitch!”, she exploded. “This poisonous snake on his shoulder. Fucking Sherryl! Fucking Harris! What kind of man would provoke a war for his own goals?”
“The kind of man who would do everything for his people”, Aldrik mumbled, as the two continued their way through the nightly streets of Raylansfair. “He is good for this city, but terrible for everything and everyone else. I can understand him, I even admire his loyalty to this city” As he noticed Maya's glare, he let out a sigh. “A leader who would do everything for his people is the most wonderful and the most terrible thing in this world”
“Do you have family, Ser Aldrik?”, Maya mumbled as they approached the tavern. The knight shook his head. “Not anymore”, he answered. “Well, I still have”, Maya answered. “My parents and four younger siblings. For their sake, this can't be it. We have to get these contracts. We have to prevent a war, because I just know, it will be fought on the back of my family and on countless other families. Never again dare to tell me how you admire this ruthless son of a bitch”
They entered the tavern, immediately spotting Gregar and Irving sitting at an empty table. While Gregar had his usual sullen glare, Irving looked surprisingly pleased to see her. “Maya, over here!”, he greeted her. As she approached, Gregar immediately noticed what happened. His glare got even more sullen, while Irving had a truly annoying smile on his face. “Maya, if you have a moment. There's something I need to...”, he started to say, but she cut him off by simply shaking her head. “Irving, it hasn't been the best day”, she snapped. “So do me a favour and don't get on my nerves for once” His smile vanished and she noticed that she apparently hurt him. She let out a sigh, slightly regretful, but unable to apologize at the moment. Perhaps later. Now, she had to concentrate on the task at hand. Preventing a war. Saving the Vale. Saving her family.
“Do you had any success?”, she asked, looking at Gregar. Her quiet companion gave her a nod. “Made some good contacts”, he growled. “Met a guy who claimed to be able to sneak into that archive. He charges a lot, which proves to me that he's honest, most likely”
“Wait a moment...”, Ser Aldrik mumbled. “Do you plan on breaking into the archive now?” Gregar gave him a nod. “That was the plan, Ser”, he mumbled. Aldrik gave Maya a somewhat shocked look. “Ambassador, this is madness. If we get caught, this lord would hang us. We have to find another way. Perhaps we find a way to convince him”
“Convincing this man?”, Maya asked. “Really, Aldrik?” The knight sighed and shook his head. “I know it is not the best plan. But just stealing from these people? This would be a crime, ambassador. We can't act rash and foolish here. We have to try it with diplomacy” Gregar shook his head. “Too slow”, he snarled. “We need to act as soon as possible, or else we loose our chance at saving the Vale. You tried it with diplomacy, Maya, and your diplomacy failed. Now we need to act, before it's too late. We need to break into this archive”
Comments
Ellena's a little girl? I thought she was about 19
Actually, she's twelve years old. Or, almost thirteen, as she would say.
I get confused with all the characters ages, but in the drawing of her she looks older than 12.
(Intervene)
(Agree to support Hobert openly)
[Stay out of it] A skilled warrior in combat against a really fat barkeep with only a spoon. I like those odds if I say so myself.
[Refuse to support Hobert openly] Errrrgggghhhhh this was a tough decision. In one case I want the Rock to be defended, but I don't want Raylainsfair's people to go to a war where they will all burn to death. Plus the Reynes are already screwed. Sorry Wilifred... RIP
Yeah Reynes are screwed... In about 300 years.
[Stay out of it] It's about time we made a bastard choice like this.
[Refuse to support Hobert openly] No stealing Leonard's job. Hobert that bastard.
The girl is definitely Ellena. Let's get her killed in Oldtown to make it easier for my ol' buddy Marak.
Exactly, doesn't Marak technically hate her? I mean, she doesn't give him free rum. He shouldn't be helping her out.
[Intervene] I want Marak to make a 'good guy' choice because based on the choices we've had him make you could arguably say he's a bad guy.
[Refuse to support Hobert openly] We don't know enough about him to give him that kind of support this soon.
Maya/Irving (I've been secretly shipping this for a while
) let's do it! He better not shave his moustache.
Edit: Accidently typed Samantha instead of Maya.
[Stay out of it]
[Refuse to support Hobert openly]
Intervene
Refuse to support Hobert openly
[Intervene] I can imagine Noelle's target is likely to be Ellena. If that is the case, Marak has no chance in beating Samuel or Terroma for that matter.
[Agree to support Hobert openly] I don't know why, but something's off about Hobert. Gonna keep an eye out for him
[Intervene]
[Agree to support Hobert openly]
[Intervene]
[Refuse to support Hobert openly]
[Intervene]
[Agree to support Hobert openly]
So this totally unrelated, but in this article:
http://startpage.lenovo.com/news/read/category/News/hashtag/News/article/the_associated_press-cops_to_discuss_mans_fatal_beating_inside_new_york-ap
There's a guy named Lucas Leonard, and one of their neighbors was Jim Constantine. Lucas Leonard was fatally beaten for hours, hopefully this doesn't befall our two knights.
[Intervene]
[Agree to support Hobert openly]
That's certainly... odd.
Will we ever find out Dimitri's fate?
Also reading that really makes me angry towards those parents of Lucas Leonard... As Qyburn would put it "Belief is so often the death of reason."
I know right they beat the shit out of him, And were surprised that he died.
When will we see the next Gutten part, I'm intrigued to see where his storyline is going.
Yeah, disgusting
The next Gutten part will come soon, very soon actually. He won't be the next part, or the one after that, but the wait won't be that long anymore. There is a reason for his long absence and part of it is poor planning on my part, as I have started his first part too early in my opinion. Another reason for his long absence would potentially slightly spoil the next parts, but it will make sense as soon as the next Gutten part is finished.
[Intervene]
[Agree to support Hobert openly]
Yes, Dimitri's fate will be revealed eventually. I have no intentions of leaving any characters fate unknown forever, although I don't know yet when I will reveal Dimitri's fate.
Ah, shit must be going down like always I assume.
That is a very strange and slightly unnerving coincidence, especially considering how easily the same fate can befall the knights. Actually, Mullendore came pretty close to beat Lucas to death in this chapter in the attempt of getting some confession out of him, which makes this article even creepier. Gosh, I hate fanatics.
Im so exited
[Intervene]
[Refuse to support Hobert openly]
Who knows what is waiting in that hidden treasure cove
Hey I just found this awhile ago. I submitted a character I hope he's good enough.
[Intervene]
[Agree to support Hobert openly]
Welcome
Yes, he is a nice character, thanks a lot for submitting! I might write you a PM regarding him a bit later.
The Voting is closed!
Marak will intervene
Willfred will agree to support Hobert openly
Especially the Willfred choice was very huge, definitely among the most important choices in this chapter and with consequences in the short and in the very long run. You will definitely see the consequences coming from this in the next chapter.
The next part should be ready today. It has to be ready today, since I want to finish this huge chapter as soon as possible. While the last part was the Chapter finale for Willfred's and Marak's storyline, the next part will finish the storylines of Lyria and Maya. The Lyria part is already written and I am determined to finish the Maya part as well today.
Maya's finished already?
For this chapter at least, yes. She is among the PoV's who need a slightly longer build-up for their storyline, but eventually she will come to a point where I can write more parts for her in each chapter.
Yeah I get it, I just really enjoy her POV.
That's very good to hear. I definitely enjoy writing her and character-wise she's among my favourite PoV's, so I am glad to hear that you like her as well. I always try to find more stuff for her to do, only to come to a point where I realize that other storylines needs to move forward first. At least it's not as bad as Marak, who mostly had filler for the last two chapters. But there are big plans for Maya and while I can't promise it 100%, there is a good chance that she might get a longer storyline in the next chapter.
Lyria
“I won't do it”, Lyria mumbled, her voice getting stronger and more angry with every second. “You're just going to kill her if I give up on my weapon” She glared at Wolfius, who had a twisted grin on his face. “Oh, what a clever little blacksmith you are”, he complimented her. “But now, I'm going to kill her anyway” With these words, he started to apply pressure on his knife, causing the edge to slightly cut into Rosalie's belly.
The sound of her daughter crying in pain caused Lyria to boil with anger. She raised her hammer and charged at Wolfius, only to stop dead in her tracks as Wolfius pushed the knife deeper into Rosalie's belly, this time deep enough to stain her dress with blood. “For every step you take closer towards me, I'm going to hurt her a bit more”, Wolfius growled. “So, think hard about your next action” Lyria just stood there, frozen in terror, as Rosalie let out increasingly panicked screams, before her body quickly grew limp.
“Huh...”, Wolfius mumbled in genuine surprise. “Looks like your little whore is dead now” Just as he said this, he slightly shook Rosalie, who just hung in his arms, no sign of life. Lyria was hardly noticing the sick grin on his face, she was only able to look at her daughter. No... this couldn't be...
Finally, Wolfius let out a sigh and let go of Rosalie, who was still bleeding heavily. “I barely started with her. She was weak”, he grinned. “I did you a favour, freeing you from her” As her daughter sank to the ground, so did Lyria, desperate tears of anger in her eyes. The moment Rosalie's body hit the floor, she let out a pained groan, opening her eyes for a moment.
“Get him, mother”, she mumbled weakly, just as Wolfius violently kicked her in the lower back. “Think you're clever, bitch? Tricking me, playing dead... that won't safe you, you little...”, he spat, before he was cut off by Lyria's hammer hitting his cheek and sending him to the ground.
“Ow, you...”, he managed to howl, his speech sounding slurred, as Lyria raised her hammer again. For a moment, she hoped to see fear in Wolfius' eye as he glared at her, but what she instead saw was violent anger. “You bitch!”, he screamed as he jumped up, giving her a heavy blow to the chin before she was able to strike him again.
As Lyria staggered backwards, Wolfius darted forwards and slashed the knife across her face. Only her reflexes prevented him from slashing her throat. Instead, he crude blade hit her cheek, deeply cutting through it and severing the lower part of her left earlobe. Wolfius gave her no time to wince back, as he attacked again, this time slashing across her forehead horizontally, almost hitting her eyes in the process.
Lyria fell to the ground in pain and dropped her hammer in the process. Blood flew down from her forehead and into her eyes. Almost blinded, unable to see properly, she moved her hands over the ground, frantically searching for her hammer. Wolfius disturbingly joyful laughter sounded in her ears and in the next moment, she felt his heavy boot stepping onto her right hand.
“My dear blacksmith Mettel, I'm going to enjoy this”, he growled. “It will take a while, but first I will...” He was cut off by a new, male voice, shouting from the outside. “Hey!”, the man yelled. “Get away from her!” In her dizzy, barely conscious state, Lyria remembered the open window. Someone saw them, someone would help them...
Pain, horrible pain flashed through her right arm, as Wolfius violently stomped onto her wrist, breaking it in the process. For a short moment, she was wide awake again, before the familiar, dizzy feeling returned. She felt Wolfius hand grabbing her hair, could feel his breath on her wounded ear. “Looks like you're going to live for another day”, he hissed, his voice shivering with hatred. “Although I doubt your daughter will survive the night. And now you know, I can always kill you. Whenever I want. Sleep well tonight, Lyria”
The heavy steps of someone running towards the window were audible and Wolfius released the pressure from her broken wrist and let go of her hair. Unable to keep her head up by her own strength, Lyria fell back onto the floor, heavily hitting her head. Just as Wolfius ran out of the backdoor, her savior jumped through the window.
“Lyria!”, the man yelled. “Lyria, do you hear me? Stay with me!” His voice sounded slightly familiar. “Rosie...”, she mumbled weakly and despite the blood in her eyes she saw that the man knelt down next to her daughter. “Fuck...”, he mumbled and Lyria finally found the strength to raise her left hand and to wipe the blood out of her eyes. Kneeling above Rosalie, a look of sheer terror on his face, stood Arthur Nathamer.
“Is she...”, Lyria managed to utter, trying to get back on her knees with her one good hand. Arthur's green eyes showed the shock he was in, his hands already stained with Rosalie's blood. “She is still alive”, he said and the relief almost sent Lyria back on the ground. “But I don't know for how long. We have to bring her to a healer”
“Healer?”, Lyria mumbled in confusion. “Eaton... he was the only one we had” Arthur quickly shook his head. “There is another one. A young woman, only a visitor in Raylansfair. Eaton had called for her when Lord Robert was sick, but she arrived too late to help him. Her name is... Mathea, I think”, he explained and a determined expression appeared on his face. “Perhaps she can still save your daughter” With these words, he effortlessly lifted Rosalie up in the air, gently holding her in his arms. “Lyria, I need you to come with me. It's not save here”, he urged her and despite the pain, despite the tiredness, Lyria managed to stagger back to her feet.
Out of her bloodshot eyes, she saw that Arthur gave her a weak smile, as he quickly turned to the backdoor. “Come on, follow me. You have to stay near me, but I can't slow down”, he exclaimed, as he already rushed out of the house. Lyria followed closely, mobilizing her last reserves to keep up with the guardsman.
“Where are we going?”, she asked with a low voice and Arthur looked over his shoulder, not slowing down in the slightest. “Father and I greeted her in this city on Eaton's behalf two weeks ago. She currently lives in a small house near the northern southern wall”, he explained and quickened his steps, up to the point where Lyria had problems following him. At this point, his tabard was stained with Rosalie's blood and Lyria realized that he was almost in a shock. But he managed to show a strength she was lacking at the moment. Lyria concentrated on him, followed him in a trance, through the nightly streets of Raylansfair. She felt watched.
It felt like hours until Arthur finally stopped in front of a small house, nothing more than a rundown shack, even though Lyria knew they had only walked for a few minutes. The house itself was as dark as the surrounding night, not a single light visible inside. “Damn it...”, Arthur mumbled, as he tried his best to knock on the door, still holding Rosalie in his arms.
“Hey!”, he yelled at the top of his lungs. “Please, we need your help! Open the door!” His knocking at the door soon turned into pounding, then he started to kick the door with his feet, while Lyria only managed to stay on her feet, leaning against the wall, her gaze fixed on the still breathing Rosalie. Her daughter had lost consciousness by now, she looked so pale, so cold, so frail...
Finally, she saw the light of a freshly ignited candle shining through the window, then she heard soft footsteps, until finally the door was opened. Behind it stood a young woman, in her early twenties at most. Her hair was as dark as a crow's feathers, contrasting quite strongly with her pale skin. In the light of the candle she was holding, her eyes had a strangely yellow, almost orange tone, not unlike the candle itself, and from the way she barely kept them open it was clear that Arthur had awoken her. “By the Seven, do you have any idea how late it...”, she started to say with a sleepy voice, before her gaze fell upon the wounded Rosalie and her eyes widened.
“Bring her inside!”, she ordered and her tiredness immediately seemed to be gone, just as her voice gained sharpness. She pushed the door open, revealing a single, simple room, the only furniture being a small bed next to the window, a large table with two chairs and a small cupboard. With quick steps, the woman rushed to the table, cleaning it with a handwave. “Put her on here!”, she ordered hastily. “I need room to look at her.
While Arthur did as he was told, the healer rushed to the cupboard, quickly pulling out a small bag. She shortly glanced at Lyria, her eyes full of worry. “Lay down on the bed”, she ordered softly. “I'll look after you once I've helped her”
She quickly rushed back to Rosalie, while Lyria did as she was ordered to do. Barely conscious, she laid down on the bed, the only thing that kept her awake was the pain and the fear of loosing her daughter. “So...”, Arthur mumbled, as the healer started to look onto Rosalie's wounds. “Your name is Mathea, right?”
She gave him a short nod, without answering, although her eyes widened as she inspected the wound. “My name is Arthur”, Arthur introduced himself, apparently feeling the need to say something. “The girl is Rosalie, the woman over there is Lyria, her mother” As he said this, Mathea looked up for a moment, at the barely conscious Lyria. She pressed her lips together and quickly looked back at Rosalie. “Can I do anything...”, Arthur again tried to say and this time, Mathea glanced at him. “Cubpoard, upper drawer”, she hastily ordered. “You'll find some candles. Ignite them, I need more light”
“That is a knife wound!”, she exclaimed in surprise. “What happened to her?” Arthur, who started to use the already lit candle to ignite several more, gulped audibly before he found the courage to answer. “She was attacked”, he explained. “By a madman, a serial...” He paused for a moment. “My sister...”, he mumbled. “Seven Hells, I have left my sister alone at home! The man who did this to Rosalie is still out there. I...”
For a moment, Mathea paused her work and looked softly at Arthur. “Go home, Arthur”, she said. “I don't need your help to save Rosalie's life. It's not the first time I do something like this” The guardsman gave her a thankful nod, but before he walked to the door, he gave Lyria a worried look. “Are you sure?”, he asked. “This man could still be out there. He is dangerous and could be...”
Mathea gave him a determined nod. “I am not defenceless”, she assured him. “I will be fine. But what I don't need is someone who is close to a panic while I have to save a girl's life. Go home, you did enough by bringing them here”
Arthur let out a sigh of relief, as he turned to the door. “I will be back in a few hours, once I made sure that Aditha is fine”, he promised, speaking to no one in particular, before he stepped out of the door and into the night. Lyria and Mathea looked after him for a moment, before the healer resumed her work. Lyria glanced out of the window next to her and saw Arthur quickly walking down the streets. A small, stray dog sat on the street, illuminated by the night, calmly looking at the house without moving. After a few moments in which Lyria was almost sure that the animal was looking at her, it turned around and silently followed Arthur. She let out a sigh as she sank back on the bed. She had survived the night, she was still alive. But at what price?
No Choices for this part
Maya
Maya gulped, looking from Harris to Sherryl. “We have been sent to Raylansfair to retrieve a few documents”, she explained. “Old documents that are of personal value to Lord Royce. Just a few old letters from what I've heard. Nothing too important, but he is willing to pay a handsome price for it” She immediately noticed how weak this lie was and suppressed the urge to sigh. Then again, she had managed to successfully tell weaker lies before.
The expression on Harris' stern face changed, into one of slight anger. He looked at his beautiful advisor and even though he seemed to calm down a bit the moment he lay eyes on her, his gaze immediately hardened as he glanced back at Maya. “You have been right, my love”, he spoke and Sherryl gave him a bright smile.
“I know what kind of document you want, Ambassador Iresons”, Harris revealed to Maya's surprise. “I have known it for a while now. Your precious kingdom is in danger. Argilac the Arrogant plans to invade you and the Bronze Lord sent you in a desperate attempt of stealing these documents, isn't that right?”
Maya and Ser Aldrik exchanged a surprised glance, before she looked back at Harris. “Lord Harris, this is wrong. We had no intentions of stealing your...”, Ser Aldrik tried to intervene, but he was cut off by Harris, who slammed his fist down onto the table. “Silence!”, he yelled. “I am not talking to you”
He moved his piercing green eyes back at Maya, who slightly shivered as she saw the anger in them. “Sherryl warned me not to trust you, that you would tell me lies to get whatever you want. Against her advice, I decided to give you a chance”, he growled. “You proved her right by lying to me”
“Lord Harris”, Maya answered, trying her best to stay calm. “My kingdom, my people need these documents. I can only ask for your forgiveness, I never meant to anger you. I was simply afraid you would refuse to give us these documents, should I tell you about their true importance”
“A justified fear”, Sherryl remarked with a frustrating smirk. “After all, why should Lord Harris anger the Storm King by giving you these documents?” The two women glared at each other and Maya saw a catty joy in Sherryl's eyes. As if she noticed Maya's confusion, the smirk on her face turned infuriatingly wide. “Argella Durrandon is on her way to Raylansfair”
“Exactly”, Harris remarked sullenly and Maya noticed that her mouth stood slightly open. “Mylord, how do you know all of this?”, she asked. Harris let out a sigh, half out of annoyance, half out of regret. “Sherryl knows a lot of things. She is a well-connected woman”, he explained. “Thanks to her advice, I can prepare for the coming storm. I can do the necessary things to protect my own people”
“And what is with my people?”, Maya asked, as she thought about her family, about her friends, about Gregar, Irving, Aldrik, hell, even about Lord Royce. “If your precious Lady Sherryl knows so much, you know how the Storm King wages his wars. Are you really willing to doom thousands just to please Argilac Durrandon?”
Harris shook his head. “I am willing to doom millions more if it means that my people stay safe. This is the duty of a lord. I find no joy in what I have to do, Ambassador, but it is my only option. Argilac Durrandon plans to take this city and I have to win time if I want to find a way to prevent him from doing so. The last thing I need is his hot-headed daughter loosing her temper in the wrong moment, should she find out that I am helping her father's enemies”
Maya pressed her lips together, suppressing the urge to insult this self-righteous man and the pretty snake at his side, who would gladly doom her kingdom, her family, just to win some time. “You and Lord Royce have a lot in common”, she mumbled and noticed how Sherryl's smirk vanished. “At the very least admit it, Lord Harris Flowers. To save your people, you would even become a murderer” For one moment, Harris facial expression lost every trace of calmness. A bitter, desperate look formed on his face and on Maya's as well. “The dead of the coming war will be on your shoulders”, she hissed.
Harris finally managed to control his face again. Calm, but with shivering voice, her began to speak. “I believe we are done here, Ambassador Iresons”, he growled with an icy cold voice and in this moment, Maya knew that he was a murderer, a true monster. Perhaps he had good intentions and in his case, she might have decided the same way. But just as he had his people to look after, she had her own. The bitter smirk on her face vanished, leaving only an expression of desperation on her face.
“This is not over”, she hissed, but Harris shook his head. “This has been over before it began, Ambassador. Don't test me. You have no idea what I am willing to do for this city” He continued to say something else, but Maya didn't even listen. She spun around and stormed out of the chamber, Ser Aldrik following closely.
“Maya...”, he urged her, but she did not stop. “Maya!”, he tried again, as they had reached the courtyard. Finally, when they had left the castle behind, Maya turned towards him. “This bitch!”, she exploded. “This poisonous snake on his shoulder. Fucking Sherryl! Fucking Harris! What kind of man would provoke a war for his own goals?”
“The kind of man who would do everything for his people”, Aldrik mumbled, as the two continued their way through the nightly streets of Raylansfair. “He is good for this city, but terrible for everything and everyone else. I can understand him, I even admire his loyalty to this city” As he noticed Maya's glare, he let out a sigh. “A leader who would do everything for his people is the most wonderful and the most terrible thing in this world”
“Do you have family, Ser Aldrik?”, Maya mumbled as they approached the tavern. The knight shook his head. “Not anymore”, he answered. “Well, I still have”, Maya answered. “My parents and four younger siblings. For their sake, this can't be it. We have to get these contracts. We have to prevent a war, because I just know, it will be fought on the back of my family and on countless other families. Never again dare to tell me how you admire this ruthless son of a bitch”
They entered the tavern, immediately spotting Gregar and Irving sitting at an empty table. While Gregar had his usual sullen glare, Irving looked surprisingly pleased to see her. “Maya, over here!”, he greeted her. As she approached, Gregar immediately noticed what happened. His glare got even more sullen, while Irving had a truly annoying smile on his face. “Maya, if you have a moment. There's something I need to...”, he started to say, but she cut him off by simply shaking her head. “Irving, it hasn't been the best day”, she snapped. “So do me a favour and don't get on my nerves for once” His smile vanished and she noticed that she apparently hurt him. She let out a sigh, slightly regretful, but unable to apologize at the moment. Perhaps later. Now, she had to concentrate on the task at hand. Preventing a war. Saving the Vale. Saving her family.
“Do you had any success?”, she asked, looking at Gregar. Her quiet companion gave her a nod. “Made some good contacts”, he growled. “Met a guy who claimed to be able to sneak into that archive. He charges a lot, which proves to me that he's honest, most likely”
“Wait a moment...”, Ser Aldrik mumbled. “Do you plan on breaking into the archive now?” Gregar gave him a nod. “That was the plan, Ser”, he mumbled. Aldrik gave Maya a somewhat shocked look. “Ambassador, this is madness. If we get caught, this lord would hang us. We have to find another way. Perhaps we find a way to convince him”
“Convincing this man?”, Maya asked. “Really, Aldrik?” The knight sighed and shook his head. “I know it is not the best plan. But just stealing from these people? This would be a crime, ambassador. We can't act rash and foolish here. We have to try it with diplomacy” Gregar shook his head. “Too slow”, he snarled. “We need to act as soon as possible, or else we loose our chance at saving the Vale. You tried it with diplomacy, Maya, and your diplomacy failed. Now we need to act, before it's too late. We need to break into this archive”
[Follow Gregar's plan] [Follow Aldrik's plan]