After a long break I resume my read of this awesome story and it seems that many interesting events happened during my absence! And I shall … morewrite my own,and completly unnecessary,random thoughts about them!
RT:
* Kersea survive her last PoV!This is an outcome that really surprise me!However I fully understand that probably only death can stop her to fulfill her new mission:kill Lucas Flowers (and Leonard is in danger too!Again!Hurray! ).
* Otis show his true nature...a horror movie type of villain!I really like the confrontation between Marak and that psycopath.
* Talking about confrontations the upcoming one between Marak and Terroma will be very cool..and awkward (you know..Noelle hide Ellena to convince Terroma to give her Briar but instead she will make The Old Man think for sure that the hostage was killed)
* Meanwhile inside the Old Town plotline I like that we discovered not only the backstory of Harpy and the man that becom… [view original content]
After a long break I resume my read of this awesome story and it seems that many interesting events happened during my absence! And I shall write my own,and completly unnecessary,random thoughts about them!
Wow, you have caught up way faster than expected! I'm happy that you and your random thoughts are back
Kersea survive her last PoV!This is an outcome that really surprise me!However I fully understand that probably only death can stop her to fulfill her new mission:kill Lucas Flowers (and Leonard is in danger too!Again!Hurray! ).
Haha, I don't think you have been the only one to be surprised by her survival. Death is definitely a way to stop her, though not necessarily the only one. She's willing to die for her mission, that much is clear, because Clayton harshly reminded her what's at stake. And yes, Leonard is indeed once again in danger. Ah, the struggles of a main character XD
Otis show his true nature...a horror movie type of villain!I really like the confrontation between Marak and that psycopath.
That is a fitting comparison. Otis was horrifying, though for me it was especially unsettling to write his initial parts, where he came off as gruff, rude, but not necessarily evil, before he eventually showed his true face. Showing his true nature was equal parts horrifying and relieving to write, especially as it ended with his well-deserved death.
Talking about confrontations the upcoming one between Marak and Terroma will be very cool..and awkward (you know..Noelle hide Ellena to convince Terroma to give her Briar but instead she will make The Old Man think for sure that the hostage was killed)
Oh yes, this is going to be very cool, although a huge misunderstanding as well. That said, Terroma never had any intentions to give them Briar either, while Noelle has no intentions of not taking Briar by all means possible, so a confrontation between them was sort of inevitable. The difference is, now it is personal for Terroma.
Meanwhile inside the Old Town plotline I like that we discovered not only the backstory of Harpy and the man that become The Burned Man but even a small glimpse of what the Alley Cats are plotting (and I'm even more curious to learn more of their backstory)!
I was happy to finally reveal more about their shared backstory. It has been hinted at before and I even outright planned to reveal it months ago, in Chapter 5, but ultimately, I never had the room for it, so now I had to make room. And there was indeed an important glimpse at the next steps of the Alley Cats, which are going to be huge.
I almost forget to add that Jaron and friends found The Burned Man!Too sad that they can only give him a mercy death but hey!Let's look it from the bright side,the now know that Mullendore is alive!
They know he is alive and they know they can't do a thing to kill him, as he is guarded by the Alley Cats and his survival is even of personal importance for the Tom. I'd say the knowledge that they haven't managed to kill him after all is not exactly the kind of knowledge they want.
If I must continue the talk about the people that we discover alive I can't forget Wulvren! I'm really curious if he will succeed his new personal quest:be a councillor for Aegon
Yes, he is still alive! Noelle is not some kind of monster, willing to murder a man whom she once considered a friend, even if he turned against her. She already is conflicted about her mission, so killing Wulvren is something she just couldn't do. As for his new quest, we'll see more about that in Book 1. His appearance in the latest Raenna part was the last time he appeared in Book 1, but I still have plans for him later on.
Ironborns attack during a Sadie's PoV!This is not an outcome that I've expected!
Originally, this attack was planned to be in Chapter 9, but for a multitude of reasons, I have decided to push it forwards. Actually, I have just today thought of a few twists during it and well, let's just say that Sadie's storyline in Chapter 8 is now going to be one of my favourites in a chapter that already is full of very exciting scenes. Though, the Ironborn that attacked in her PoV are just a part of the group that sailed with Torvin and Garthon, namely the ships under the command of Durren Stallhart, who is going to have a key role in the next chapter.
I like the small Lupin PoV that TheFurryOne write,I really hope that he will continue to make them and end his own short story
I do agree, this one has been really great and gives a lot of insight into the kind of person Lupin is, wich should really built him up for his eventual, inevitable introduction. I look forward for the next part of this Lupin series
PS2:Why the Telltale forum is still white?WHYYYYYY!?
I think I have heard very recently that the staff is still working on an updated version of the site. It's clear that something did not work as planned in the last forum update, so they have probably grown more cautious before implementing any further changes, which means longer waiting time for us. But well, it has been promised that this is not the final design and I have faith in Telltale
After a long break I resume my read of this awesome story and it seems that many interesting events happened during my absence! And I shall … morewrite my own,and completly unnecessary,random thoughts about them!
RT:
* Kersea survive her last PoV!This is an outcome that really surprise me!However I fully understand that probably only death can stop her to fulfill her new mission:kill Lucas Flowers (and Leonard is in danger too!Again!Hurray! ).
* Otis show his true nature...a horror movie type of villain!I really like the confrontation between Marak and that psycopath.
* Talking about confrontations the upcoming one between Marak and Terroma will be very cool..and awkward (you know..Noelle hide Ellena to convince Terroma to give her Briar but instead she will make The Old Man think for sure that the hostage was killed)
* Meanwhile inside the Old Town plotline I like that we discovered not only the backstory of Harpy and the man that becom… [view original content]
Well... you will soon see if this was a wise decision. I am not too sure which choice I would have made in your place, but probably I would have chosen to stay silent, which was the more neutral option here. But well, it was an important choice and will decide a lot about Ilish's storyline in the next chapter. One thing I am glad about is that it will probably give me the best opportunity to develop Ryler, who is a character with a very intriguing backstory.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I'm writing like the wind, but it is a very long part. It is also the chapter finale.
Ahem, I said it is...
The Chapter Finale!
Much better.
Yes, that is right. After far too many months, the current chapter is finally coming to an end today. It will have twice the length of an ordinary part, which still makes it shorter than last chapter's finale, but it will also include 3 PoV's, namely from Jaron, Arthur and Raenna. I'm not sure if a recap will be necessary, so let's just say, Jaron's part is going to deal with the immediate aftermath of Jaron's most recent decision to kill the Burned Man, Arthur's part is going to deal with the planned execution of Wolfius Woodbark, while Raenna's part finally is going to deal with the confrontation between Noelle and Terroma. All three parts should hopefully be exciting. I have finished Jaron's PoV, will finish Arthur's PoV very soon, but I still have to write the entirety of Raenna's PoV, which is also going to be the largest of the three. And well... this is going to be the first chapter finale to include a choice and it might as well be one of the most important choices of the entire chapter.
The Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to say that everything is okay
Well... you will soon see if this was a wise decision. I am not to… moreo sure which choice I would have made in your place, but probably I would have chosen to stay silent, which was the more neutral option here. But well, it was an important choice and will decide a lot about Ilish's storyline in the next chapter. One thing I am glad about is that it will probably give me the best opportunity to develop Ryler, who is a character with a very intriguing backstory.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I'm writing like the wind, but it is a very long part. It is also the chapter finale.
Ahem, I said it is...
The Chapter Finale!
Much better.
Yes, that is right. After far too many months, the current chapter is finally coming to an end today. It will have twice the length of an ordinary part, which still makes it shorter than last chapter's finale,… [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to say that everything is okay
Well... you will soon see if this was a wise decision. I am not to… moreo sure which choice I would have made in your place, but probably I would have chosen to stay silent, which was the more neutral option here. But well, it was an important choice and will decide a lot about Ilish's storyline in the next chapter. One thing I am glad about is that it will probably give me the best opportunity to develop Ryler, who is a character with a very intriguing backstory.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I'm writing like the wind, but it is a very long part. It is also the chapter finale.
Ahem, I said it is...
The Chapter Finale!
Much better.
Yes, that is right. After far too many months, the current chapter is finally coming to an end today. It will have twice the length of an ordinary part, which still makes it shorter than last chapter's finale,… [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to say that everything is okay
Well... you will soon see if this was a wise decision. I am not to… moreo sure which choice I would have made in your place, but probably I would have chosen to stay silent, which was the more neutral option here. But well, it was an important choice and will decide a lot about Ilish's storyline in the next chapter. One thing I am glad about is that it will probably give me the best opportunity to develop Ryler, who is a character with a very intriguing backstory.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I'm writing like the wind, but it is a very long part. It is also the chapter finale.
Ahem, I said it is...
The Chapter Finale!
Much better.
Yes, that is right. After far too many months, the current chapter is finally coming to an end today. It will have twice the length of an ordinary part, which still makes it shorter than last chapter's finale,… [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to say that everything is okay
Well... you will soon see if this was a wise decision. I am not to… moreo sure which choice I would have made in your place, but probably I would have chosen to stay silent, which was the more neutral option here. But well, it was an important choice and will decide a lot about Ilish's storyline in the next chapter. One thing I am glad about is that it will probably give me the best opportunity to develop Ryler, who is a character with a very intriguing backstory.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I'm writing like the wind, but it is a very long part. It is also the chapter finale.
Ahem, I said it is...
The Chapter Finale!
Much better.
Yes, that is right. After far too many months, the current chapter is finally coming to an end today. It will have twice the length of an ordinary part, which still makes it shorter than last chapter's finale,… [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to say that everything is okay
Well... you will soon see if this was a wise decision. I am not to… moreo sure which choice I would have made in your place, but probably I would have chosen to stay silent, which was the more neutral option here. But well, it was an important choice and will decide a lot about Ilish's storyline in the next chapter. One thing I am glad about is that it will probably give me the best opportunity to develop Ryler, who is a character with a very intriguing backstory.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I'm writing like the wind, but it is a very long part. It is also the chapter finale.
Ahem, I said it is...
The Chapter Finale!
Much better.
Yes, that is right. After far too many months, the current chapter is finally coming to an end today. It will have twice the length of an ordinary part, which still makes it shorter than last chapter's finale,… [view original content]
It broke Jaron's heart to see Harpy like this. She was shivering, desperately trying to keep her calm, but the tears that poured down her face were prove enough that she was loosing this battle. The knife in her hand was shaking horribly and for a second, Jaron even thought that she was about to faint. He took a deep breath, as he gently touched her wrist. She tensed up under his touch and gave him a tear-stained look, with eyes that were widely opened with fear.
“Harpy”, he said softly and she understood. The knife fell out of her weak grip and the metallic sound of the weapon landing on the stone below was the only thing that broke the silence. She looked away again, at the Burned Man, who was breathing weakly, but steadily. Barely noticeable, she gave him a nod.
Jaron noticed it and so did the Burned Man, who opened his eyes again. This caused Harpy to sob and she took a step towards him again, kneeling down next to her. Gently placing his head in her lab, she stroke through his hair and he smiled. “I'm sorry”, he said. “You were right. You were always right” He gasped, as a new wave of pain flashed through his body. “We should have gone to Lorath”
Harpy closed her eyes, but the last look Jaron saw in them was one of pain. “I wanted more for you”, the Burned Man said. “I wanted to give you the world” Now, Harpy shook her head. “I never wanted the world”, she answered. “I wanted you”
Now, a pained expression appeared on his face as well. “I was afraid”, he admitted. “Afraid that I could not give you what you deserve. Afraid I would be too weak” He sighed. “But I am no longer afraid”, he whispered and looked at Jaron. “Because I know you won't be alone”
Jaron gave him a nod. “I swear it”, he promised. “By my honour, by my love, I swear it” The Burned Man smiled weakly. “And that is why I am ready to go”, he whispered and looked at Harpy, his dark eyes full with love. “You told me I saved you, that it was me who gave your life a meaning” With what little strength he had left, he shook his head. “But it was you who saved me”
Then, he looked back at Jaron. “Thank you”, he said. “For not letting her do it. For protecting her once again. Jaron managed a weak smile. “It will be over soon”, he promised and now, the Burned Man breathed out through his mouth, which almost sounded like a chuckle. “I wanted it to be over once”, he gasped. “Wanted to die because I had nothing left to live”
With a sigh of regret, Jaron glanced at the sword in his hand. He had done such a thing before. He knew where the heart was. The Burned Man noticed his intention and pointed slightly to the right of the centre of his chest. “I never wanted to care. For this city, for the children. But I did and...”, he muttered. “And now I just want to get old and listen to their laughter”
He gave him just the hint of a nod, but Jaron knew, it was his sign. With enough force to do it quickly, he rammed his sword into the Burned Man's chest, the steel cutting right through his heart. The Burned Man's eyes widened, as he gasped for a second, before a smile of relief formed on his face. His gaze was fixed on Harpy, as was hers on him until it was over. The Burned Man was dead.
The shock of what he just did hit Jaron as he pulled the sword out of the man's chest again. He held onto the blade, though he wanted nothing more than to throw it away, wanted nothing more than to sink onto his knees. What had he done? By the gods, what had he done? Through a veil of tears, he saw Harpy clinging onto the Burned Man's corpse, her cries echoing through the room.
Samuel stepped into his field of view, a look of concern on his face. “Hey, hey”, he said, as he put his hands onto Jaron's shoulder and shook him. “You had to do it, for him, for her, you know that!” Jaron looked at him, his fists still clenched and Samuel narrowed his eyes. “And she still needs you. Snap out of it. Pull yourself together and help her” He looked towards the door. “We need to get out of here!”
He let go of Jaron and rushed towards the door, opening it just a gap. Jaron saw Lanfrod glancing through it into the room. “We're leaving. We've been here for too long”, Samuel said and Lanford gave him a nod. “It's all calm out there, but I don't trust the silence”, he growled. “We need to leave, or else we're joining the dead”
Samuel gave Jaron a stern look, before he glanced at Harpy. “I'll be waiting outside”, he sighed, before he moved to the door. Jaron pressed his lips together as he walked towards Harpy. He knelt down next to her and she looked up. Without saying a word, he pulled her into a hug. She let it happen and rested her head against his, though he felt how she tensed up under his touch.
“We must leave”, he said softly. “If we stay, they will find us” He raised from the ground and she slowly followed, after she gently put the Burned Man's corpse down onto the ground. She gave him a wide-eyed, empty stare. “And then?”, she asked and her voice wasn't more than a whisper, before she looked away again. Jaron rested his hands on her shoulder. “We get through this”, he promised. “We must”
No Choices for this part
Arthur
Wolfius would hang on a sunny evening, one of the warmest they had in many weeks. Judging by the large grin on his face, he was well aware of the fact. His wounds had healed nicely, he was able to walk without aid and the slightest hint of a limp didn't seem to bother him.
Right now, they had to shield him. Shield him from the mob that wanted him dead and Arthur couldn't even blame them. They had gathered around the town square, hundreds of men and women with murder in their eyes. Their sight had unsettled even the commander. Hackor had ordered an additional dozen men on each side of Wolfius, to shield him from whatever cruel fate the mob would prefer.
“Make him suffer!”, a voice sounded and through the wall of shields that separated them, Arthur wasn't even able to see the man whom it belonged to. He had the questionable honour of dragging Wolfius through the narrow gap where the guardsmen in front of him had forced the crowd to make way. To his right, from where the voice sounded, the massive body of Aldus Ermo stood between him and the fury of the crowd. The boy was holding a large shield, but it couldn't hide the fear on his face.
“Don't hang him!”, another voice yelled and the other citizens expressed their approval of this. “Stake him!”, a woman screamed. “Flay him alive!”, a shockingly young voice sounded. Arthur exchanged a glance with Valarr Roux, who was standing to Wolfius' left and who had been ordered to assist Arthur in leading Wolfius. Not that his assistance had been necessary. The murderer had been strangely cooperative, accompanying them without a struggle and even allowing them to chain his hands behind his back. The closer they got to the gallows, the better his mood seemed to get.
“Commander”, he said with an affectionate voice. Hackor glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed. He was leading the procession of course, clad in his green armour and a spear in his hands. “I must thank you, commander”, Wolfius said. “Your deep conviction to stick to the rules is admirable”
He chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers down Arthur's spine, even more than the howls of the enraged mob calling for Wolfius' death. “You are a truly lawful man”, he said and Hackor glared at him. “I don't need your compliments”, he growled and Wolfius' smile faded, replaced by a horrifyingly serious expression. “It wasn't meant as a compliment. It was a statement. You are a truly lawful man”, Wolfius clarified. “But that is also the reason why you will fail. Any other man would have killed me on the spot, but not you, no. You had to show the world how the law would triumph” A mocking smirk formed on his face. “But I intend to show them something different. They'll see what a joke it all is, your law. Thanks to you, I won't die today”
With a look of disgust on his face, Hackor turned around again. “Save your breath”, he advised him. “You're going to need it” He glanced up at the gallows and so did Wolfius. The killer's obnoxious smile was wider than ever. “But you have my gratitude”, he repeated. “And for that, I think I will even spare your life” His vicious glare hit Arthur. “Unfortunately, the same can't be said about your children”
This comment caused Hackor to stop walking for a second. Arthur saw how his father clenched his fists, but he did not turn around. “If this is how you want to spend your last minutes, so be it”, he said. “Your idle threats are as pathetic as the rest of you”
Wolfius let out a shrill laugh. “Oh my, someone is loosing his cool!”, he spat, before he looked around. “And the same applies to your men, as I see” He focussed on Aldus. “Fatty here is almost pissing himself”, he said and Aldus gulped. “Or perhaps he's already a step farther. Who made you a guard? I bet you ate all the others who applied for the job”
Aldus shivered and Arthur saw the hint of tears in his eyes. “Please, shu-shut him up”, he stuttered, his voice strained with stress. Wolfius chuckled audibly. “Seven fucking hells, there is enough of you to make three guardsmen. Does that mean they pay you thrice? Huh, clever...”, he scoffed, before he grinned at Arthur. “Yes, he's clever. Not like you, Arthur, not like you or your whore sister”
He did not manage to continue. Just as Arthur had gotten ready to punch him to the ground, Valarr had grabbed the killer by the throat, hard enough to shut him up. Of course, Hackor immediately noticed it. “Valarr!”, he barked and reluctantly, the guardsman let go of him again. “You're representing the guard, Roux. If you can't behave, I will have to reconsider your position”
Valarr grumbled something in return and looked at the ground, while Wolfius raised his eyebrows. “Valarr, isn't it?”, he asked and the guard showed no reaction, aside from a noticeable narrowing of his eyes. “Isn't that galling how I get protected, while you get yelled at and scolded? It's making you angry, isn't it?”
Now, Valarr looked up and for a short moment, he glared at Hackor, before focussing back at Wolfius. “I'm going to enjoy watching you die”, he stated and Wolfius shook his head. “It's going to be the other way around, Valarr”, he responded. “You will die. Fatty will die. Arthur and his sister will die. And Harking, oh so very much” The smile he gave Arthur was almost twisted. “But you can be relieved, Arthur”, he said. “I think I won't kill that healer girl. Mathea, that's her name, isn't it? Yeah, she's off the list. I have use for her talents. Or maybe for her”
Finally, they had reached the wooden steps that led up to the gallows and Arthur let out a thankful sigh. Wolfius' howling laughter was still ringing in his ears. By now, the angry shouts of the crowd had become deafening.
When the murderer was led up to the wooden platform, the crowd erupted into screams of rage. It was the first time many of them got a clear view of him. The nearby tavern had played its part in their current mood, as many of them weren't sober. The only thing that prevented Wolfius' immediate death were four dozen guards, almost half of the entire force.
Not even the presence of Arthur's father was able to calm down the crowd entirely. Hackor raised his arms to silence them and only had slight success. Most of the people were still focussed on the killer next to him. “Citizens of Raylansfair!”, Hackor yelled and his thundering voice swept across the mob, drowning all but the most ardent. “We have gathered here today to deliver justice, to rid the world of a great evil!”
Wolfius rolled his eyes. “He knows how to start a speech”, he whispered into Arthur's direction. “Must be annoying to be the son of such a great man, knowing that you will never be as good as him” Arthur did the mistake of shooting a glare at him and now, Wolfius chuckled again. “Oh, I am so right”, he said. “You know you'll never be as good as daddy and you'll never be good enough for his respect”
“Wolfius Woodbark!”, Hackor yelled, turning towards him. “You have been found guilty of murder in a dozen cases! In the name of House Raylan, you have been sentenced to death by hanging! Because of your exceptional crimes, we will come to the execution immediately” After he said these words, he let out an audible sigh. “If you have any last words, it is your good right to share them with us now”
Wolfius gave him a nod. “I have words, yes”, he said, barely audible through the renewed anger of the crowd. “Shut him up!”, a pot-bellied man in the first row of the crowd screamed and others immediately voiced their support of his demand. “Just cut out his tongue!”, a shrill woman's voice sounded.
Through all of this, Arthur noticed something else. There was a man approaching them through the crowd, with hasty steps. He recognized Daemion Stratford, wearing his uniform and having a look of worry on his face. “Commander!”, he yelled, though the following words were inaudible by the screams of the crowd.
“But they won't be my last”, Wolfius continued. With a grin, he focussed on Daemion, who had reached the gallows by now. The guardsmen immediately stepped aside to let him through. “Commander, we have a problem!”, he said, as he rushed towards Hackor, to whisper something into his ear. Immediately, Hackor's eyes widened. “My god...”, he mumbled. “Are you sure?”
Before Daemion was able to answer, a new sound echoed through the city, loud enough to be clearly audible even over the commotion. It was a horn, a war horn. It came from the sea and it brought Arthur's worst nightmare with it. More horns joined in, into a deep, unsettling cacophony.
“Ironborn...”, a man gasped. “IRONBORN!” Others soon came to the same conclusion, as the formerly angry mob soon turned into the only thing even worse, a panicked mob. People started to rush around, their rage all but forgotten, replaced by deep fear.
Even Hackor was afraid. Arthur only saw it for a moment, but his father showed the same fear that almost paralyzed the other guards. He was simply able to shake it off faster. “Stay calm!”, he yelled. “Gather your loved ones and retreat to the castle! Help each other! Leave no one behind!”
He turned towards Daemion. “Gather the men! We will meet them at the harbour. They will have to pay with their blood for every inch they step into my city!”, he barked, though Daemion did not immediately follow the order. “There's more”, he answered. “Men gather on the eastern road, they march towards the city. Their banner shows a broken sword”
“Second Sons...”, Hackor gasped, his eyes now widely opened. “Then we have to split our forces. Send word to the castle, we need every man they have” Daemion gulped. “And there's...”, he started. “Ser, there's even more. A third group approaches the southern gate, at least five dozen, maybe more. No banner”
“South!”, Hackor exclaimed. “We can't defend the south against that many!” He shook his head. “The castle, we need their help. Send word to Lord Tyrell. And inform Constantine, I want him to lead the men at the southern gate. Maybe Flowers as well, but I need Tallwood at the castle”
“You know, about my words...”, Wolfius mumbled, with a wide grin. He focussed onto a place in the crowd and as Arthur followed his stare, he spotted a figure standing there, short and scrawny, the face hidden underneath a hugely oversized hat. This figure remained calm, slowly approaching the gallows even when everyone around them rushed in panic.
“I have a confession to make”, Wolfius said, now a bit louder. “Commander, when I said I would spare your life...” Just in that moment, the figure had reached the line of guards, who have grown increasingly uncomfortable. Arthur spotted several gaps in their ranks and immediately realized that they had abandoned their post when they heard about the news. He himself almost felt like running away, but not to flee, no. Aditha was somewhere in the city! By the gods, he had let her go, he should have followed her! She was somewhere here and he had no idea where!
“I lied”, Wolfius finished his sentence. In that moment, the figure raised its head, revealing the face of a teenage boy. His skin was deathly pale, his eyes had the same dull, grey colour as Wolfius' and his hair was dark blonde. But what really caused Arthur to hold his breath was the disfiguring scar on his face. It was not exactly a scar, it was more as if part of the face was missing, either chewed off or cut off in a sloppy way. One of his cheeks was missing almost entirely, exposing half of his teeth and part of his gum. The sight was terrifying enough to cause the nearest guards to recoil in surprise. “What the...!”, a guardsman exclaimed. They were his last words, as the boy immediately cut his throat with two daggers, one for each hand.
The other guards jumped back, away from the reach of the short, but deadly... thing that was standing there. Wolfius let out a howling laughter and over all of this, another sound really caused Arthur to freeze in terror. It was the sound of iron hitting wood, As Wolfius' handcuffs fell off his hands and onto the platform.
The first to react was Valarr, who received a quick fist to the face, right into his nose, with enough force to send him to the ground. Quickly, Wolfius spun around and kicked Arthur right between the legs, with enough force to send him to his knees. “A little mouse gave me this here”, he said and raised his left hand, revealing the keys to his chains. “And that” With these words, he spun around, to ram the knife in his right hand straight between Hackor Nathamer's ribs, before the commander was able to fully reach him.
Hackor's eyes widened and he went down onto his knees. As Wolfius pulled his hand back, the blade was red with blood. The beast turned around, to ram it into the chest of a guard that tried to stop him. Below him, guardsmen and people were running around, trying to maintain the order and far too few of them were actually trying to stop the whirlwind of steel and blood that was the boy with the knives. Quickly Wolfius jumped down from the platform, right onto a guard, cutting the man's throat in the process.
Arthur staggered back to his feet, still in a lot of pain. He ignored the chaos around him and focussed only on Wolfius. Pulling his mace from his belt he jumped after him and down the platform. The killer did not see him coming, he was too busy slicing through a guard, a boy who was barely able to move out of fear.
Only seconds after Wolfius had pulled his blade out of the boy's stomach, Arthur had reached him. With an angry roar, he tackled him to the ground, while the panicked crowd was still rushing around him. Arthur expected no help from them, he knew they were more concerned with the Ironborn. He had no doubt that many of them didn't even realize that Wolfius was about to escape again.
He raised his mace with both hands, ready to slam it down onto Wolfius' face. The killer caught him by the wrist with one hand, using the other to deliver quick, brutal punches to Arthur's side. For a man his size, he was shockingly strong and he managed to push Arthur off him seemingly without effort.
Instead of immediately running away, Wolfius now jumped on top of Arthur, while the latter still tried to regain his breath. With cold, methodical brutality, he wrapped on of his hands around his throat, while the other reached for his knife. “This ends sooner than expected, Arthur”, he hissed, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “But don't you worry, I'll send the rest of your family after you soon”
Weakly trying to push away the hand that was wrapped around his throat, preventing him from breathing, Arthur raised his other hand and managed to grab Wolfius' wrist, while the killer tried to push the blade down into his chest. The hand around his throat was even more of a problem, as it prevented him from breathing. Arthur gasped, gurgled, as his face turned red and black spots started to dance in front of his eyes. Slowly but steadily, the knife came closer.
“Father, behind you!”, a voice yelled, in a tone so monotone that it felt out of place in the chaotic scenery. Wolfius did not waste a second. He let go of Arthur and jumped to the side. The sword only cut through thin air, while Arthur started to cough, finally able to breath again. He looked up to see Valarr standing there. There was blood coming out of his nose, but he firmly held onto his sword, pointing it onto Wolfius, who took a step back.
“Father, we need to go!”, the disfigured boy yelled. “They won't be distracted for long!” Wolfius gave him a nod. “Yes, Kreep”, he said. “Good boy. Good boy...” He watched as Arthur struggled back to his knees, still gasping for air and a twisted grin formed on his face. “Until next time, Arthur”, he said, as he gave him the hint of a nod. Then, he turned around and ran through the panicked crowd with the boy right behind him.
“Damn it!”, Valarr's cursed, as he quickly approached Arthur. “Get up! Gods damn it, he's getting away!” He pulled Arthur, still gasping and coughing, back to his feet, before he ran after Wolfius. Just a second later, before Arthur even had fully recovered from nearly getting choked to death, he was gone, vanished into the crowd like the two men he was chasing.
There was one thing that prevented Arthur from immediately following. He turned to his father and to his relief, he saw him alive, even standing, although with the help of Daemion Stratford. “Protect the commander!”, the captain yelled, while Hackor's face was warped with pain.
“I need at least sixty man down at the docks. Forty will hold the eastern gate and send a bloody message to the castle, we need their men at the south!”, Hackor ordered, his voice stern despite his wound. Arthur rushed towards him, a look of pure worry on his face. “Father!”, he said and Hackor glanced at him. “Just a scratch”, he assured him. “I've survived worse” He shivered. “Armour saved my life”
“You're going to lead these men?”, Arthur asked, though Hackor did not even listen. Concern grew on his face, as he looked down the street that led to the docks. “Arthur, where is your sister?”, he asked and Arthur gulped. “I... I don't know. She ran off after... after you...”, he stuttered and the pain on Hackor's face was not only physical for a moment. “The men need someone to lead them...”, he whispered.
Now, Arthur's expression darkened. “She is your daughter!”, he barked. “My sister! We have to find her! We have to save her!” Hackor shook his head. Sternly, he grabbed Arthur by the forearm. “No, this is not what we are going to do”, he told him. “Arthur, you are my son. You have many qualities I admire, but you are no fighter and I forbid you to get yourself killed” His voice was stern, harsh, though Arthur saw worry in his emerald green eyes.
“But... but Aditha!”, he protested and Hackor sighed. “I had this choice before. I had to choose between saving my family or my city. The last time, your mother paid the price for my mistake” He shook his head. “I won't lose my daughter as well!”, he insisted. “Neither will I lose my son. You will not fight, but you will help” He glared at Aldus and the young man seemed to shrink, despite his colossal size. “Boy, help the people to the castle!”, he ordered harshly and Aldus gave him a quick nod. “Yes, Ser!”, he assured him.
“If you don't disappoint me, you won't have to fight”, Hackor promised and immediately, Aldus rushed towards the citizens, trying to convince them to run to the castle. Now, the commander sighed, as he gave Arthur another look, noticeably softer this time. “You are not a fighter”, he repeated. “But you can protect these people in your own way. Bring them to the castle. I will find your sister and bring her there”
“But...”, Arthur started to say, before Hackor cut him off. “Stratford, lead the men to the docks. You're in command until I return!”, he ordered and looked at two guardsmen. “You, come with me!”, he barked. The men saluted, before they rushed after him. Despite his bleeding wound, he was barely slowed down.
Daemion tensed up. “Alright me, you heard the commander!”, he yelled, his voice loud enough to be heard. “Everyone, with me! Let's push these whoresons back into the sea they came from!” His brief words caused loud cheering from some of the more battle-hungry guardsmen. They all followed him. All but Aldus and Arthur, who was left baffled.
Quickly, he looked around. His father had reached the end of the square already, rushing towards their home, as Arthur realized. Hoping to find Aditha. He looked around and saw Aldus, who did a pathetic job in bringing the men to the castle. The boy was half-mad with fear, even worse than most of the people around him. Then there was Daemion, whom Arthur knew could need him. He was not a fighter, that much was true, but he knew how to swing his mace and he knew that every man would count at the docks. And finally Valarr... the man had saved his life before running after Wolfius and now he was alone out there, alone with two killers...
[Help Aldus][Go after Valarr][Go after Daemion][Go after Hackor]
Raenna
“They're up ahead”, Davith said, as he moved through the underbrush. For someone who had spent a majority of his life in a city, his steps were remarkably soft. “The priestess and some beast of a man, huddled next to a campfire, on the clearing just ahead. There's a cliff to their back, so they have nowhere to run”, he further explained, before a shiver went through his body. “And they have already built a pyre”
Raenna pressed her lips together as she heard this. She glanced at Briar Catelins, who was standing next to Ando. The sellsword was doing his best to keep her preoccupied, to distract her while the rest talked about the people that wanted her dead. “As expected”, Abbas hissed. “She's a presumptuous bitch, like the rest of her cult”
“She has to die”, Terroma mumbled. He had taken it badly when Raenna told him about what she had seen at the burning house. Of course he had, but even expecting such a reaction, Raenna was shocked by his grief. He hadn't cried. He hadn't screamed and from the look in his eyes, she knew he wasn't blaming her either. He was only blaming himself. His sentence, it was not only a statement, it was a promise.
“Works for me”, Abbas agreed. “I never had any love for people like her. Firebrands, every single one of them, relishing in the misfortune of others all for the sake of their mad demon god” His words were full with spite and it was the first time Raenna had to agree with the emotions the Ghiscari showed. He hadn't cracked a single terrible joke since they had found the burning corpse of Ellena Terys, instead he had been cold, entirely focussed on their mission.
“Do we really have to do that?”, Ando asked. “Taking vengeance, I mean?” Davith raised an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?”, he asked. “That monster burned a little girl, for no other reason then that she could”
Ando gave him a nod. “And killing the priestess won't bring the girl back”, he said. “It'll only claim more lives. Perhaps one of ours as well” Terroma didn't even look at her. “She has to die”, he repeated in a quiet, cracking voice. Raenna took a deep breath, as she approached him. She saw the sorrow in his eyes. Silently, she reached for his hand, gently putting her own into it.
“Do you have a plan?”, Brandon asked and Terroma gave him a nod. “We will surround her”, he said. Me and Raenna, we will approach them from the south. The rest travels around the clearing, to attack from the east”
“I agree”, Abbas stated, as he and Bakr exchanged a glance. The hulking slaver, usually in a jolly mood, was just as visibly angry as his companion. “I'm with you”, he growled. Davith gave him a nod as well. “And I owe you, I owe you more than just that. You have my sword in the coming fight”
Finally, Brandon sighed. “I don't like this, but Davith brought up a good point. I owe you and so does Ando”, he said with a firm voice. His friend closed his eyes, before he nodded. “Yes, we will help you”, he stated. “May the gods have mercy on us all”
“Good”, Terroma said tonelessly. “Wait for me to make the first move. She expects me, but I doubt she expects all of you. If we can take her by surprise, we minimize the risk” A grim smirk formed on Abbas' face. “Anything else?”, he asked and Terroma glared at him. “We leave no survivors”, he answered.
“Wait...”, Ando spoke again. “If we all fight, then who is looking after Briar?” Terroma sighed. “We will take her with us”, he revealed and the red-haird man raised his eyebrows. “Into the fight?”, he asked. “No way, you can't mean to do that!”
Terroma shook his head. “Not into the fight. Just with us”, he said. “I won't leave her here. There are wolves in this forest” He gave Raenna a soft look. “Raenna, you will make sure that Briar will stay with you at the edge of the clearing. Do not let go of her and do not intervene”
Under any other circumstance, Raenna would have protested. She wanted to help, not only by looking after Kersea's little sister. But even now, a solid hour after leaving the house behind, she had trouble breathing, as her entire throat felt sore from the smoke. It wasn't exactly unbearable pain, but it was slowly wearing her down. She had no doubt that right now, she would be of little use to Terroma in a fight and they couldn't wait until she would feel better. Even worse, she might even hinder him, might even give him an additional target to focus on, as she knew, he would go out of his way to keep her from harm.
His words seemed to please even Ando. “Good. As long as she will be kept from harm, I agree with this solution”, he confirmed. He hesitated for a moment and looked at Brandon, who gave him a nod. “And... I just want to say that you can count on me. One way or the other, I will be with you until the end, even if I may not agree with you”
After this statement, they left. Davith walked first, having scouted the area properly before. Abbas and Bakr followed and especially the larger man had visibly and audible trouble with making his way through the forest without causing too much noise and destruction in his path. Finally, Brandon and Ando walked after them. While Brandon's determined glare was enough for Raenna to know that she could trust him, the hesitation on Ando's face concerned her. Violence was far from her first way of solving problems, but this time, she had to agree with Terroma. This priestess, Noelle, she had to die.
She noticed the sorrowful look on Terroma's face and gave him a mild look. “It is my fault”, he sighed, after the last of their companions had left. Only he, Raenna and Briar were left and the young girl seemed to be obviously uncomfortable with this. “It's not”, Raenna responded sternly, but he only shook his head. “I should have never left her”, he sighed. “I wanted to stop Clayton so badly, I didn't even consider that I would put her into danger” With pain in his gaze, he closed his eyes for a second. “If I had stayed with her...”
“Then Briar would still be in Mullendore's dungeons, just like Brandon, Ando and Davith”, Raenna insisted. “Doesn't that mean anything? You did good, a lot of it” Terroma clenched his fists. “But is it enough to surpass the bad I did?”, he asked. And Raenna knew that he hadn't followed his prime rule, the one thing he had always tried to teach her. He had allowed his guilt to catch up with him.
“You couldn't know”, she said and he tensed up. “I should have known”, he answered. “Whom if not me? I should have known and I should have prevented it. I didn't, because I was too focussed on stopping Clayton” His voice cracked for a moment. “Now it is all I have left”
“That is not true”, Raenna said again, trying to snap him out of his grief. There was a fight coming and having him wailing in sorrow, it was the last thing he needed right now. The time to mourn would be later. “You have me. And Kersea as well, after we save her. And Briar, isn't that right?”
The young girl gave her an enthusiastic nod, even though she had no idea what Raenna was talking about. “Yes!”, she answered and her smile got a bit smaller. “Uh, when do we get to see Kersea? I really miss her” For a second, a hint of Terroma's usual kind smile flashed over his face. “Soon”, he promised wholeheartedly. “First we have to deal with something important. Then, we get your sister back and bring you home. I will make sure that you will live in peace from now on”
“Great!”, Briar exclaimed. “It wasn't so nice at Uncle Maron's place. He was great, but it was dark down there and sometimes I heard strange things” She looked around through the forest. “This is so much better! Almost reminds me of home” Her enthusiastic smile was contagious, even though Raenna still felt sick from what she had seen at the house. “And can Uncle Maron come and visit us? I know he's not my real uncle, but he is so nice”
Terroma's smile died down as he and Raenna exchanged a look. Then, Raenna knelt down next to the girl. “Of course”, she lied to her. She felt horribly for doing this, but this particular truth was something she didn't want to burden Briar with. Maybe once the girl was older, she would understand. But for now, Raenna didn't want to waste her innocence. It was a wonder she even managed to keep it for so long. “I will send Uncle Maron a letter and I will invite him to visit you as often as he likes”, she promised. “But it will be a very far way to travel and he is a busy man. I don't know how often he can come”
Briar's smile faded, but she gave her an understanding look. “Oh... that's alright, I guess”, she mumbled in slight disappointment. “I hope he comes to visit me. I have always told him about my home. It had a room for me and one for Kersea and one for mother and father and a large living room where we always had a warm fire burning” Her smile returned slowly as she spoke. “And there was a small fence around the front of the house and a hedge where sweet berries grew”, she explained. “Do you like berries? I love berries! Mo...” She paused and her smile grew noticeably thinner. “Mother used to bake them into a pie...”, she mumbled.
Raenna sighed as she put a hand onto the girl's shoulder and a kind smile. “I love berries as well”, she said. “And pie is not too bad either” This caused Briar to smile again. “Maybe I can bake you a pie once we're home!”, she said and looked at Terroma. “And you too! Do you like berry pies?”
The smile on Terroma's face was even half-genuine and Raenna smirked at him. “Do you see what you have done?”, he asked and he gave her a nod, with tears in her eyes. “I see it”, he said and smiled down at Briar. “And I would love some pie as well” Then, his smile faded again, as quick as it came. “But first it is time to end this”, he mumbled and looked at Raenna. “Are you ready?”
“Always”, she confirmed, as they started moving. She was holding Briar's hand tightly, as they walked through the nightly forest. Terroma led them, but Raenna tried her best to keep up with him, without putting Briar through too much stress. More than once she stopped to gently warn the girl whenever a particularly dangerous root was lying in the way. A nightly forest has to be taken seriously and the last thing the wanted was for Briar to fall and to hurt herself. She wanted vengeance on the priestess, if only because she hurt Terroma, but it wasn't worth risking Briar's safety.
They didn't have to go far. Soon afterwards, Raenna spotted a light in the distance, through the trees. Terroma slowed down, though he continued moving. There was no trace of the rest of her group, which likely meant that they were already in position, just waiting to strike.
As Raenna moved closer through the thick underbrush, she finally spotted the clearing in its entirety. It was surrounded by forest on three sides, though she saw that the fourth was sharply cut off, likely some kind of cliff. The clearing was covered into the light of a campfire. Under other circumstances, she would have considered it to be warm, but right now, it seemed more ghastly than anything else.
The two figures on it were throwing the shades of giants, but Raenna was able to see that they were anything but. Admittedly, one of them was rather tall, a true beast of a man. The red-haired sellsword they had mentioned, Samuel Puffer, Archmaester Wulvren and just a few minutes ago, Davith. Noelle's muscle. Marak was sharpening his axe at a steady pace, glancing around the forest. She had no doubt that he had no idea where they were.
The priestess was a different case entirely. She was young, perhaps only a few years older than Raenna and even in the dim light, she looked beautiful, with olive skin and lush, dark red hair. Even her eyes seemed as red as the dress she was wearing and she was focussed exactly at the spot where they were standing, as if she was able to see them through the darkness.
Now, Terroma stopped completely, having obviously noticed that she was looking at them. Not only into their direction, but directly at them. As if she was noticing Raenna's stare, a slight smirk was forming on her face. Behind her, barely visible in the darkness, Raenna saw a pole in the ground. She narrowed her eyes as she recognized the pyre Davith had mentioned.
“Raenna...”, Terroma mumbled and looked at her. Before he was able to say anything, she hugged him tightly. “I never had children of my own”, he whispered into her ear. “But I don't think I would have ever been able to love them as much as I love you” His warm smile sent tears to her eyes. “Stay safe”, she urged him and he gave her a nod. “Only if you do the same”, he answered. “I could not bear losing you as well”
“Never”, she answered and managed a weak smile. She looked down at Briar, who was staring at them with all of her innocence. “I'll stay here and I will make sure that Briar is going to stay save as well”, she promised.
Terroma gave her one last smile, before he turned to the clearing. After taking a deep breath, he stepped through the underbrush and onto the clearing. “Priestess”, he said. His tone was hollow, his voice was cracking, though it carried far in the night.
Marak jumped up, having obviously not noticed him until now. He tensed up visibly, while the priestess remained calm and collected. “I've been awaiting you, Old Man”, the priestess purred in a deceptively warm tone. “Come closer, into the light. Warm yourself at our fire, for the night is dark and full of terrors”
Terroma approached her and as he answered, Raenna froze in terror. The tone in his voice... This was a man pushed beyond his breaking point. A very dangerous man, a man who had just given up on controlling his inner beast. “The night might be dark, priestess”, he said and his voice redefined the absence of warmth. “But I am the only terror you have to fear”
Raenna tensed up, as she heard his words. Yes, he was a terror when he was like this and any person in their right mind should fear him. Obviously not the priestess, but after all she had done, Raenna was almost sure that she was insane. She had to be. What kind of a monster would burn a little girl for nothing?
Noelle's smile grew more strained for a second. “I think you're mistaken”, she said calmly. “Please, I wish to talk to you. There are many things to discuss and perhaps we can reach an agreement. I'm sure you will see my point”
Her brazen smugness caused burning anger to flare up inside of Raenna and she had no doubt that Terroma felt similarly. Without hesitating, he started to approach her. “Noelle...”, Marak growled. “Screw this, just let me kill him” The priestess gave him an irritated glare. “Killing him?”, she asked. “But why? I'm sure he'll see reason, isn't that right, Old Man?”
Terroma showed no signs of slowing down and he even broke into a sprint one he had approached her up to two dozen feet. Marak spat onto the ground. “I don't think he wants to talk”, he barked and raised his axe. “Luckily, I don't want to either”
And then, he charged at Terroma, while Raenna was only able to look at him with eyes that were widely opened with fear. Marak's axe cut through thin air, as Terroma dodged his attack, though he took a step to the side, averting to get stabbed in the stomach. Terroma slid past him, before he turned around again, facing his opponent with the most terrifying glare Raenna had ever seen.
“Now!”, the voice of Brandon sounded and just a second later, the rest of the group crashed through the forest. Well, almost. Ando was absent and Raenna cursed him in her mind. The priestess should have been surprised, but she saw that Noelle only seemed to be mildly irritated by four armed men charging at her. “Fools”, she uttered coldly, before she raised her right hand. She waited for a second and a smile formed on her face. Then, she snapped her fingers.
Immediately as she did so, fire flared up, flames as high as the trees that surrounded the clearing, in a circle right around the group, trapping them inside. It was magic, the clearest display of power Raenna had ever seen and enough to interrupt the fight between Marak and Terroma, as both men took a moment to gasp at Noelle's move.
The priestess smirked smugly. “I know the future”, she claimed. “All it took was a bit of oil at the right spot and some timely intervention from the Lord” Her eyes narrowed, as she turned towards Terroma, now with a large, burning circle behind her. Raenna was able to hear the trapped screams of her group, who were not directly burned, but slowly cooked from the heat. “Do you see it now?”, Noelle asked, her eyes narrowed, as her voice slowly turned cold beyond comparison. “I know your future and it will be very short if you don't drop your weapon and listen to me!”
Terroma was still slightly shocked, but so was Marak. He shook his head. “There is nothing to discuss”, he answered, before he tried to attack the sellsword. Marak jumped back, as his axe cut through the air, forcing Terroma to dodge. Noelle sighed. “So be it, you old fool”, she barked.
“They are fighting”, Briar muttered and Raenna knelt down next to her, focussing on the girl, so that she didn't have to focus on the gruesome scenery that was displayed on the clearing. The only father she had ever known, fighting against a beast twice his size. It was not the first thuggish brute she had seen Terroma killing, but she knew, this one was different. This one was experienced and unlike Terroma, he was in top condition.
“Don't look at them”, Raenna urged her, though Briar shook her head. “No!”, she protested. “They are fighting, we must help Terroma!” Her display of bravery was heartwarming, but Raenna knew, it was futile. There was nothing they were able to do. “We must stay here”, she told her, but again, Briar only glared at her. “I am not stupid!”, she insisted. “I know they are fighting because of me. Terroma, he wants to keep me save!” Right now, the innocence faded from her face and tears formed in her eyes, which were just as grey as Kersea's, as Raenna just now noticed. “Mother did the same. She protected me and she is dead because of it, because of me!”, she yelled, before she decidedly shook her head. “No one else will die because of me!”
Before Raenna was able to grab, her Briar had already started to run. “Briar, no!”, she screamed, but the young girl did not listen. She had already reached the edge of the clearing and Raenna jumpe back to her feet. Her lungs protested, but her own conviction won over her pain. “Come back!”, she screamed, as Briar rushed towards the fighting men. “NO!”
Noelle turned towards the girl and a surprised, but triumphant smile formed on her face. “Marak!”, she yelled and just for a second, the sellsword shifted his attention towards the approaching girl. This second was almost too much, as Terroma immediately attacked, forcing Marak to outright parry the strike. Terroma's small knife clashed against the massive hilt of Marak's axe.
Finally, Briar had reached them. She was faster than Raenna, who was nonetheless still running after her. Without showing even the slightest fear of being caught between these two dangerous men, she raised her hands, as she stood right between them. “Enough!”, she yelled with her high voice, which had turned shrill by now, from exhaustion, anger and sadness. “You won't...” She did not manage to continue, as Marak grabbed her by her tiny arm, lifting her up, while swinging his axe with one hand.
He did not strike at her, but rather at Terroma, forcing him into the defensive once more. He used the force of his movement to throw Briar behind him in a high arch. The girl heavily landed on the ground, just a few feet away from Noelle. As she hit the ground, she let out a scream of pain, followed by sobs, as the priestess immediately approached her.
Raenna stopped directly between them. To her right, Noelle reached down to grab Briar, who was sobbing in pain. The girl was bleeding, where she had hit the ground and this only caused Raenna to hate the sellsword even more. To her left, Terroma was still fighting against Marak. When she saw that he was forced into the defensive more and more, she made her decision. As fast as she could, she rushed towards Terroma, while Noelle dragged a screaming Briar to the pyre behind her.
Marak saw her coming. The sellsword took a step back, which saved his life, as she slid past him and underneath the swing of his axe. His movement caused her blade to only cut through air, as it otherwise would have cleanly gutted him. Raenna jumped back to her feet to Terroma's right side. The old man gave her a surprised glance. “Raenna!”, he barked. “I told you to stay with Briar!” He glanced past Marak, to see how Noelle just reached the pyre, forcing a heavily crying Briar onto it.
“She ran”, Raenna explained. “Wanted to prevent you from killing yourself. And I have the same intention. You are wounded!” Terroma gave her a nod and as she glanced at his side, she saw that his wound had reopened. She could only imagine the amount of will it took him to remain so stoic about it. “So is he”, he whispered. “His left arm. It must be an older wound, but it still affects him. It is his slow side and you have always been faster than me”
Raenna smirked thinly, as both eyed the red-haired sellsword. Marak chuckled. “Two against one, huh?”, he barked. “Well, more for me to kill” Then, he attacked. His axe did a vertical strike, right between Raenna and Terroma, forcing them to split up. The he did a wide, horizontal strike, starting at Terroma's position, who jumped back with ease, before spinning towards Raenna.
She had seen this move coming, it was typical for an opponent with a superior range. Luckily, she knew just what to do against it. Instead of jumping back, as Terroma did, she jumped forwards. If he would have used a sword, she wouldn't have done it, but a majority of his axe was claimed by the handle, which was not exactly dangerous. She was faster than him and even before any part of his weapon could reach her, she had embedded her dagger in his shoulder.
Marak roared in pain, though he still managed to slam the handle of his axe against her side, instantly pressing the air out of her lungs and forcing her to stagger backwards and to let go of her knife. Still roaring, or perhaps screaming, Marak turned towards Terroma, striking at him with one hand, which was still enough to keep him at bay.
His free hand moved towards the dagger in his shoulder. He removed the weapon and threw it onto the ground right next to him. Raenna lunged towards it, in the desperate attempt to regain her weapon fast enough to help Terroma. Too late did she notice that he had clenched his fist. Once she was in range, he heavily punched her in the face.
For the first second, Raenna was sure that she would pass out. He only hit her cheek, but she was sure that he could have easily broken all of her teeth if he would have aimed a little lower, at her jaw. The force was still enough to floor her immediately. Horrible pain flashed through her cheek and by extension, her entire head. Stay awake!, she thought. Stay conscious! Get up! Help Terroma!
Terroma... through the dark spots that danced around her eyes, she saw him desperately attacking Marak. His wound slowed him down, while Marak barely seemed to notice his new one. To her other side, Noelle tightly bound Briar to the pole, not reacting in the slightest to the girls pleas for help.
Her hearing was the first to return back to normal. At first, Briar's cries and the blazing fire that surrounded the rest of her group was only muffled, though it quickly grew louder again. Her sight followed and by the time she had struggled back to her knees, she was able to see properly again. What she saw caused her to rush to her knife as fast as she still could.
Terroma was standing with his back to the cliff, having been forced back step after step. Marak had a wide grin on his face, as he pushed his axe forwards, causing Terroma to take yet another step back, to the point where his feet almost found no ground to stand on anymore. “Any last words?”, he asked. Through a veil of tears and pain, Raenna saw that Terroma looked at her, calmly. He smiled, the warm, fatherly smile she loved so much. “Valar Morghulis”, he said.
Marak attacked. The blade of his axe moved towards Terroma at full speed. Instead of trying to dodge, a move that would have likely been futile, Terroma did something so risky that is caused Raenna to scream. He jumped up, doing a salto in the air and narrowly managed to avoid the blade of the axe. Instead of the ground, he managed to land on the handle of the weapon with both feet.
Though surprised by this display of acrobatics, Marak did not hesitate. With his left hand, he grabbed Terroma by the belt, before he made a complete turn, gaining enough speed and the accompanying force to throw Terroma above the edge of the cliff in a high arch.
Raenna screamed as she saw him fall out of sight, just screamed at the top of her lungs, as she finally reached her dagger. Her screams were cut short, replaced by a feeling of empty sadness, a loss she wasn't even fully able to grasp yet.
“Well done, Marak!”, Noelle complimented her dog smugly. “Now eliminate the dragon girl and then it'll be done” She narrowed her eyes as the sellsword showed no reaction, still facing the cliff, his back turned towards both women. “Marak?”, she asked.
Finally, Marak turned around. His eyes were widened and Raenna saw that his vest was already stained with the blood that poured out of the deep gash on his neck. The emptiness inside of Raenna got filled with a tiny bit of grim, bitter triumph, as she realized that this had been Terroma's final attack. When Marak had spun him around to throw him over the edge, he had opened the sellswords neck. “Noelle...”, Marak gasped and as he spoke, a gust of blood came out of his mouth, a darker shade of red than the beard it flew into. Then, he staggered backwards and to the ground, stumbling over the edge of the cliff as well.
“MARAK!”, Noelle screamed and it was the first time Raenna heard anything from her that wasn't smug. In fact, she sounded panicked. The glare she gave Raenna was one of pure anger. By now, Raenna had staggered back to her feet. Briar... She had to save Briar! The girl was tied to the pyre, but Noelle hadn't started a fire.
Now, the priestess raised her hand. “Stay where you are!”, she ordered. Raenna did not listen. Noelle snapped her fingers and immediately, sharp, burning pain flashed up inside of Raenna, enough to cause her to stagger and to gasp. Noelle narrowed her eyes. “I said, stay where you are!” Once again, Raenna did not listen and once again, Noelle snapped her fingers. The pain inside of her was even more intense this time, almost forcing her to her knees. She still stumbled forwards. “STAY BACK!”, Noelle screamed at the top of her lungs. When she snapped her fingers, it felt as if Raenna's inner organs exploded in fire. She instantly fell to the ground, in too much pain to even scream, as she clawed at her own chest, trying to stop the pain inside of her.
“The blood of the dragon”, Noelle spat. “But only half of it. It's the other half that brought you down at last” As Raenna still rolled on the ground, whimpering in agony, the priestess approached the campfire. She reached down to her bag and pulled a small, black vial out. With her other hand, she grabbed one of the burning logs of the campfire and turned back towards Briar.
The girl struggled. “No!”, she screamed. “Please, no! Don't do this! Don't! Please, I don't want to die!” Without mercy, Noelle splattered the oil inside of the vial onto her. “It must be done”, she answered calmly, before she moved the hand holding the log closer. And then, something happened with Raenna had not expected. The Red Priestess stopped.
“It must be done”, she repeated tonelessly, her eyes widely opened, as she looked at the girl. “It is His will” She shook her head. “I must do it. I have to be strong enough” Her hand shivered and now, Raenna saw tears flowing down her face. “It must be me...”, she whispered. “Why? Why? Oh Lord, anything but this!”
Then, she turned her face to the sky and screamed, half in sorrow and half in rage, throwing the burning log away from Briar as fast as possible. For a second, the flames that still surrounded Raenna's group flared up, higher than before, before they died the moment Noelle sank to her knees.
Inside of the former circle, Raenna spotted her group, lying on the ground, in pain, but alive and without serious injuries. “I can't do it...”, the priestess mumbled, as the pain in Raenna's chest faded and she managed to get back to her feet. “Lord, have mercy, for I am weak. I can't do it... Marak has been right”
At a steady pace, Raenna approached the priestess, a hollow stare on her face. Almost with a relieved smile, Noelle looked up at her. “I can't do it... I... I can't...”, she stuttered. “It sounded so easy, but now... but now...” Tears streamed down her face and finally, Raenna realized what just happened. “You can't do it?”, she growled.
Noelle shook her head. “He told me. Marak, I mean. I haven't listened. Oh god, I should have listened”, she said. All of the pain inside of Raenna was gone, as was the sorrow, when she fully realized that Terroma had just died. “My father is dead”, she mumbled and glared at the priestess. “He died because of your madness and now you see that you can't do it?”
Noelle opened her mouth to speak, though Raenna shut her up by slamming her fist into the priestess' face with all her power. For a short moment, the person that was Raenna was gone. There was only fury, the fury of the dragons that made up half of her family. Without holding back, she threw heavy punches at Noelle, hitting her in the face with her right hand, then with her left, right, left, right, moving her knee upwards and ramming it against Noelle's chin, sending the priestess to the ground entirely.
The dragon jumped on top of the priestess, pressing the air out of the woman's lungs as she hit her. Throwing punches at her, strong, terrifying, fuelled by a rage that could burn an empire to the ground. Throwing punches at Noelle's chest, her throat and, over and over, her face, destroying the cold beauty the woman might once possessed. Quickly, the face of the priestess was swollen, bleeding from a dozen cuts, which were almost hidden beneath black and purple bruises. If Noelle had any magic to protect herself, she wasn't using it.
The dragon growled, as she pulled the other woman back up, only to slam her down, face first onto the ground, breaking her nose in the process. She reached for one of the logs Noelle had used to build the pyre, slamming it against the woman's face, hard enough to break it in two. Amid a rain of splinters and blood, Noelle reached the ground again.
“Get up!”, the dragon growled. “Get up! You're going to suffer the pain of a thousand deaths before I kill you!” The priestess mumbled something, but she did not listen. “GET UP!”, she screamed at the top of his lungs, her voice cracking with rage.
She reached down again, to cover the other woman with punches, though someone held her back. She broke free of the grip around her arm, before she slammed her elbow backwards. A pained scream sounded and for a moment, Raenna returned. A moment was enough to cause the fury to fade, almost, and to cause her to look around.
Her group stood there, staring at her. Abbas was grinning in triumph, while Davith seemed shocked. Brandon meanwhile almost seemed impressed. And then she noticed that she had almost beaten Noelle to death, right in front of Briar. The girl was staring at her in pure fear, though Raenna was not sure if it was a result of her losing control, or the fact that she had almost been burned to death. Perhaps both. She looked down at her hands, covered in blood, before she glanced over her shoulder.
Ando stood behind her, covering his bleeding nose. “Raenna, it's over!”, he said. “She tricked us! She tricked us!” And then, Raenna saw someone behind him. A young girl, perhaps around twelve years old, tall for her age, with olive skin and dark, messy hair, her eyes wide with shock. “Ellena...”, she mumbled, before she glared at the priestess. “You did not kill her?”
With the little strength she had left, Noelle shook her head, a look of sudden realization on her battered face. “Of course not...”, she whispered, before Raenna rushed towards her again. “I'm going to kill you!”, she screamed. Brandon got to her first. Heavily holding her in his arms, he prevented her from reaching Noelle. “No!”, he said. “Not like this. Don't do it like this!” He sternly looked at her. “Do it if you have to, but do it cleanly”
Behind her, Ando cleared his throat. “Look at her”, he said. “She is beaten. Defeated. Enough blood has been shed today. Just leave her be. This will be worse than killing her” And finally, Abbas approached them, his grin getting wider and wider. “Killing her? Well, what are you waiting for?”, he asked. “Terroma is dead because of her. I never liked the old man, but I respected him and he was a thousand times the person she is. She is scum” He presented his arakh, hilt first, offering it to her. “Do me the honour”
Finally, Noelle gasped. “Kill me if you must...”, she stuttered. “Whatever you do... it will be... His will... And if I die.... it will be my punishment... His will... your choice...”
[Kill Noelle][Spare her life]
End of Chapter 7: Valar Morghulis
Your Choices:
Loyalty: Lucas decided to declare for House Durrandon
Rescue: Richard decided to help Axell and Hal
Priority: Sadie decided to help Leo
Punishment: Marak decided to kill Otis
Burden: Jaron decided to kill the Burned Man himself
“Row faster, you scum!”, Cleaver Clint barked at the top of his lungs. “I'll be the first man in that city, or else I'll chop off your fucking hands!” He glared at Garthon and Torvin. “These pansy traitors won't beat me to it, you hear me? They fucking won't!” With a sigh, Garthon averted his eyes and looked at Torvin instead. “Brother”, he said and Torvin barely looked up. He noticed the worried expression on the faces of each of his men. This would be it. This would be, where their fates would be decided.
Hal let out a pained groan as Richard poured the alcohol onto his wound. His teeth were clenched and at least he successfully prevented himself from screaming. Through all of this, Richard noticed that his brother was not moving away from the window. “Richard...”, Alan gasped. “Richard, I think there are people down the path” Richard raised an eyebrow. “Axell and Ed maybe”, he answered, though he knew he was wrong. Quickly, Alan shook his head. “They are more”, he said. “Far more. And they have weapons”
“We need your men!”, Leonard urged her. “Please, there are people dying in the streets. My people!” Argella looked at him, her face showing no sign of emotion, even if Drent could guess at the battle she was waging in her mind. “Please, princess, without your men, none of mine will see the light of dawn again” Just as Argella opened her mouth to answer, Tariel cut her off. “And why should we be concerned, Ser?”, she asked. “Why should we send our own men to death? Who among you would be willing to do the same for us? Tell us one good reason why your lives matter more than ours”
The fire around him barely seemed to bother him, as he approached the downed knight. Leonard struggled to get back to his feet, but one of his men was faster, one of the few that had actually survived the explosion. Without even hesitating, Clayton grabbed his arm, before embedding his sword in the man's side. Letting go of the dying body, he focussed on the knight again, with a satisfied smile on his face. “So then, Leonard Constantine”, he said politely. “How do you wish to die?”
The surrounding Ironborn were not silent. They were chanting, in a low, ghastly tone that sent shivers down Sadie's spine. The large Ironborn turned towards her, blood still dripping down the blades of both axes. Blood had splattered across his entire breastplate, even onto the long, narrow tusks that were attached to the bevor of his armour. It was not enough to fulfil the thirst of blood that was in his eyes. “Durren! Durren! Durren! Durren!”, his men chanted, as Sadie tightly grabbed her sword, her hands shaking in fear. Stallhart slammed his axes together, before pointing both of them right at her.
At last, all Garthon had left to do was to draw his sword. The blade slid out of the sheath smoothly, with a faint, metallic sound. In the same movement, he pointed it at the city in the distance. “What is dead may never die!”, he screamed.
And three hundred voices answered to him.
Forum of Thrones, Act III, Chapter II: What Is Dead May Never Die; Coming Soon
Goodness, that was a lot of writing, a lot more than expected. Another part, another all-nighter. Let's just say, that was not easy to write, as these characters have been developed over the timespan of almost two years now. I must admit, my eyes are wet and it's not only from utter exhaustion. I hope you enjoyed the read as much as I enjoyed the write. And well, stay tuned for the absolutely massive things that have been set in motion in this part. The next chapter is going to include several parts that will be even harder for me to write and which I am, at the same time, even more excited for, strange as it sounds. As always, thank you very much for reading! Your support means the world to me For now, I will leave you with the usual couple of questions:
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Who were your favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
Who were your least favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
What has been your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 7?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 8 or anything else you'd like to say?
Also, do not forget to vote, if you haven't done so already. Both of the votes here (In Raenna's and Arthur's parts) will be extremely important for the next chapter!
My good god Liquid. This might be the longest you've written. I didn't think it was possible but i have gained EVEN MORE respect for you as a writer. I would say as a person too but that one has been maxed out for more than a year now.
[Spare Noelle]
I wonder if people will actually agree with me this time.
Next time on Forum of Thrones:
“Row faster, you scum!”, Cleaver Clint barked at the top of his lungs. “I'll be the first man in that ci… morety, or else I'll chop off your fucking hands!” He glared at Garthon and Torvin. “These pansy traitors won't beat me to it, you hear me? They fucking won't!” With a sigh, Garthon averted his eyes and looked at Torvin instead. “Brother”, he said and Torvin barely looked up. He noticed the worried expression on the faces of each of his men. This would be it. This would be, where their fates would be decided.
Hal let out a pained groan as Richard poured the alcohol onto his wound. His teeth were clenched and at least he successfully prevented himself from screaming. Through all of this, Richard noticed that his brother was not moving away from the window. “Richard...”, Alan gasped. “Richard, I think there are people down the path” Richard raised an eyebrow. “Axell and Ed maybe”, he answered, though he kn… [view original content]
Jesus man you need to sleep now. Please get some rest. This was about 4 parts in row i think we could go a week with nothing.
1) I like Edrik he seemed pretty cool, Samantha was badass, Lucas and Leonard were cool and Argella was absolutely amazing. Also Kersea was cool and Wolfius was a fun villain.
2) CLAYYYYYYYYYYYYYTON!!!!!!!!!!! I want him to be tortured and then killed. Though i would vote to spare him if possible but i find that unlikely.
3) Edrik and Lucas. Samantha was good too and Jaron was interesting. I also like Garthon for the foreshadowing his parts had.
4) None so far they are great.
5) There were a lot. I'm not sure if can honestly pick favorites but i did really love Argella and Samantha parts. Garthon was good too.
6) Not really. It keeps being excellent if not better.
7) To see you improve (if that's even possible with this amazing level of quality), none so far you are great, and ofcourse INVATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Goodness, that was a lot of writing, a lot more than expected. Another part, another all-nighter. Let's just say, that was not easy to write… more, as these characters have been developed over the timespan of almost two years now. I must admit, my eyes are wet and it's not only from utter exhaustion. I hope you enjoyed the read as much as I enjoyed the write. And well, stay tuned for the absolutely massive things that have been set in motion in this part. The next chapter is going to include several parts that will be even harder for me to write and which I am, at the same time, even more excited for, strange as it sounds. As always, thank you very much for reading! Your support means the world to me For now, I will leave you with the usual couple of questions:
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Who were your favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
Who were your least favourite… [view original content]
Fucking Wolfius! Should've known he'd get away. Screw that crowd btw! Bunch of bloody savages.
[Help Aldus] I was going to help at the docks because I think that's where Arthur is needed the most but as Arthur mentioned, Aldus is doing a piss poor job and what he's doing is important too. Plus there are more important things then Wolfius right now.
Marak and Terroma
I knew their fight would be epic but I had no idea it'd end with both of their deaths.
[Spare Noelle] This is murder, I cannot allow it. Ando was right from the start, we don't need vengance.
Noelle's smile grew more strained for a second. “I think you're mistaken”, she said calmly. “Please, I wish to talk to you. There are many t… morehings to discuss and perhaps we can reach an agreement. I'm sure you will see my point”
Her brazen smugness caused burning anger to flare up inside of Raenna and she had no doubt that Terroma felt similarly. Without hesitating, he started to approach her. “Noelle...”, Marak growled. “Screw this, just let me kill him” The priestess gave him an irritated glare. “Killing him?”, she asked. “But why? I'm sure he'll see reason, isn't that right, Old Man?”
Terroma showed no signs of slowing down and he even broke into a sprint one he had approached her up to two dozen feet. Marak spat onto the ground. “I don't think he wants to talk”, he barked and raised his axe. “Luckily, I don't want to either”
And then, he charged at Terroma, while Raenna was only able to look at him with eyes that were widely opene… [view original content]
Next time on Forum of Thrones:
“Row faster, you scum!”, Cleaver Clint barked at the top of his lungs. “I'll be the first man in that ci… morety, or else I'll chop off your fucking hands!” He glared at Garthon and Torvin. “These pansy traitors won't beat me to it, you hear me? They fucking won't!” With a sigh, Garthon averted his eyes and looked at Torvin instead. “Brother”, he said and Torvin barely looked up. He noticed the worried expression on the faces of each of his men. This would be it. This would be, where their fates would be decided.
Hal let out a pained groan as Richard poured the alcohol onto his wound. His teeth were clenched and at least he successfully prevented himself from screaming. Through all of this, Richard noticed that his brother was not moving away from the window. “Richard...”, Alan gasped. “Richard, I think there are people down the path” Richard raised an eyebrow. “Axell and Ed maybe”, he answered, though he kn… [view original content]
Favourite characters- Marak, Raenna, Dante, Jenna and Lucas. Dante and Raenna because I just love their characters. The rest just really shined in this chapter. Marak when he discovered Otis' secret and him telling Noelle she wouldn't be able to do it and he was a great antagonist. I really enjoyed Lucas' dancing on the edge of darkness. I hoped we'd get to see him fully go dark but I don't think that'll be happening now. I love the direction Jenna's going in.
EDIT: ALYSANNE! How could I forget her? She was awesome!
Least favourite characters- Harpy and John. Harpy because I just don't like her and John annoyed me a lot. I still like him though.
Favourite POV's- Edrick because Dante , Lucas because of the reason above and Jenna. I loved Jenna's part's this chapter! Her and Saerya are great together and I can't wait to see more.
Favourite part and moment- Marak and Terroma's fight, I highly anticipated this moment and it was awesome!
Anything you want to see?- More Dan-- I mean Edrick!
Goodness, that was a lot of writing, a lot more than expected. Another part, another all-nighter. Let's just say, that was not easy to write… more, as these characters have been developed over the timespan of almost two years now. I must admit, my eyes are wet and it's not only from utter exhaustion. I hope you enjoyed the read as much as I enjoyed the write. And well, stay tuned for the absolutely massive things that have been set in motion in this part. The next chapter is going to include several parts that will be even harder for me to write and which I am, at the same time, even more excited for, strange as it sounds. As always, thank you very much for reading! Your support means the world to me For now, I will leave you with the usual couple of questions:
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Who were your favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
Who were your least favourite… [view original content]
Next time on Forum of Thrones:
“Row faster, you scum!”, Cleaver Clint barked at the top of his lungs. “I'll be the first man in that ci… morety, or else I'll chop off your fucking hands!” He glared at Garthon and Torvin. “These pansy traitors won't beat me to it, you hear me? They fucking won't!” With a sigh, Garthon averted his eyes and looked at Torvin instead. “Brother”, he said and Torvin barely looked up. He noticed the worried expression on the faces of each of his men. This would be it. This would be, where their fates would be decided.
Hal let out a pained groan as Richard poured the alcohol onto his wound. His teeth were clenched and at least he successfully prevented himself from screaming. Through all of this, Richard noticed that his brother was not moving away from the window. “Richard...”, Alan gasped. “Richard, I think there are people down the path” Richard raised an eyebrow. “Axell and Ed maybe”, he answered, though he kn… [view original content]
Hard to say, actually. I really enjoyed reading Kersea and Alysanne interactions together with Argella's with Lucas and Drent. same goes for Raenna and Harrington. Really... lots of characters was my favourite this chapter.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 7?
I guess Clayton for obvious reasons everyone knows about. Otis, for being sick murderer of innoccent kids.
Who were your favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
I think it will be Kersea. Her parts was soaked with emotions - those good and bad ones, which made her parts special to read.
Who were your least favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
Dunno, Edrick I think. Maybe because his PoV appeared quite late and I simply did not get used to him in general.
What has been your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 7?
Whole chapter was full of nice moments and parts in it. Please don't let me choose from all of them. T^T
Is there anything you disliked?
Actually, letting go of Irving was kind of sad.... even if I voted to send him away. I think I regret it now, from this point of view.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 8 or anything else you'd like to say?
More blood, more drama! I see this is coming, judging by the recent events, therefore I am going to enjoy this incoming Chapter alot!
Goodness, that was a lot of writing, a lot more than expected. Another part, another all-nighter. Let's just say, that was not easy to write… more, as these characters have been developed over the timespan of almost two years now. I must admit, my eyes are wet and it's not only from utter exhaustion. I hope you enjoyed the read as much as I enjoyed the write. And well, stay tuned for the absolutely massive things that have been set in motion in this part. The next chapter is going to include several parts that will be even harder for me to write and which I am, at the same time, even more excited for, strange as it sounds. As always, thank you very much for reading! Your support means the world to me For now, I will leave you with the usual couple of questions:
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Who were your favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
Who were your least favourite… [view original content]
[Help Aldus] I think he needs more help than the others and Arthur can do good for people of Raylansfair this way. Perhaps Mathea will be there to aid him, or he her.
[Kill Noelle] Let's take down the priestess when we have a chance for that. Even if she realized she couldnt be as fanatic as she wanted to I think she still may be the danger when she awakes from the shock of loosing herself and Marak.
As for the finale, it was pretty intense from many different perspectives. I felt that Wolfius will run away, however now I am worried for Mathea which he mentioned he is not planning to kill - however she seem to be in his field of interest, which makes me really intrigued.
I feel sorry for Marak and Terroma, however I am not sure about death of one of them. As we saw, Marak had throat cut, however Terroma was thrown away and fell over the cliff. Perhaps he somehow managed to survive in support of something which was there, below the cliff... this would be a nice twist.
Jaron's part was quite emotional as well, but we all knew what will happen in it, therefore it was the part that made the least effect on me this finale.
Noelle's smile grew more strained for a second. “I think you're mistaken”, she said calmly. “Please, I wish to talk to you. There are many t… morehings to discuss and perhaps we can reach an agreement. I'm sure you will see my point”
Her brazen smugness caused burning anger to flare up inside of Raenna and she had no doubt that Terroma felt similarly. Without hesitating, he started to approach her. “Noelle...”, Marak growled. “Screw this, just let me kill him” The priestess gave him an irritated glare. “Killing him?”, she asked. “But why? I'm sure he'll see reason, isn't that right, Old Man?”
Terroma showed no signs of slowing down and he even broke into a sprint one he had approached her up to two dozen feet. Marak spat onto the ground. “I don't think he wants to talk”, he barked and raised his axe. “Luckily, I don't want to either”
And then, he charged at Terroma, while Raenna was only able to look at him with eyes that were widely opene… [view original content]
I am very, very glad to hear this. It has been a bit of a struggle to finish in time (especially as I noticed that it would be a whole part longer than originally planned), but it seems to have been worth the extra work
Fucking Wolfius! Should've known he'd get away. Screw that crowd btw! Bunch of bloody savages.
Well, he said it over and over again that he has no intention of dying. Wolfius' confidence is partially a result of his insanity, but he also always has some trick up his sleeve. As for the crowd, I fully agree! There are few things less civilized than a crowd that wishes to see blood.
Marak and Terroma
I knew their fight would be epic but I had no idea it'd end with both of their deaths.
I have looked back to the beginning of the chapter, as I remembered that you even made a poll about the outcome of this fight, once it has first been hinted at. It was this here: http://www.strawpoll.me/10119265/r
Interestingly enough, no one seemed to have predicted that they end up killing each other. This outcome has actually been the result of several earlier choices, most importantly the one that led to Terroma getting wounded in Chapter 6. Without his wound, he would have ended up killing Marak in this part, although he would have received severe wounds that would have ultimately caused his death in a different situation in the next chapter.
Fantastic, I love it! What a superb finale!
Fucking Wolfius! Should've known he'd get away. Screw that crowd btw! Bunch of bloody savages… more.
[Help Aldus] I was going to help at the docks because I think that's where Arthur is needed the most but as Arthur mentioned, Aldus is doing a piss poor job and what he's doing is important too. Plus there are more important things then Wolfius right now.
Marak and Terroma
I knew their fight would be epic but I had no idea it'd end with both of their deaths.
[Spare Noelle] This is murder, I cannot allow it. Ando was right from the start, we don't need vengance.
As for the finale, it was pretty intense from many different perspectives. I felt that Wolfius will run away, however now I am worried for Mathea which he mentioned he is not planning to kill - however she seem to be in his field of interest, which makes me really intrigued.
Well, right now Mathea is still at the castle, so she's out of Wolfius' immediate wrath. His words not to kill her don't really mean a thing, because Wolfius is not someone to stick to his words, but she has helped him by treating his wounds, so she at least hasn't done a thing to anger him.
I feel sorry for Marak and Terroma, however I am not sure about death of one of them. As we saw, Marak had throat cut, however Terroma was thrown away and fell over the cliff. Perhaps he somehow managed to survive in support of something which was there, below the cliff... this would be a nice twist.
By that logic, Marak's death is not entirely confirmed either. It was not his throat that was cut, or otherwise he wouldn't have been able to speak anymore, but it was his neck that got sliced, a wound not unlike the one Sasha received in Samantha's storyline. I can reveal that there will be confirmation on both of their fates in Raenna's next part.
Jaron's part was quite emotional as well, but we all knew what will happen in it, therefore it was the part that made the least effect on me this finale.
I somewhat agree. While Jaron was always planned to be a part of the chapter finale, I have originally planned not to reveal the fate of the Burned Man in Jaron's penultimate part, but instead to do all of it in this chapter finale. Since I wanted to include the choice on how to kill the Burned Man and wanted to show the aftermath of this decision, I ultimately decided to change it to the current version. But I hope you still enjoyed it
[Help Aldus] I think he needs more help than the others and Arthur can do good for people of Raylansfair this way. Perhaps Mathea will be th… moreere to aid him, or he her.
[Kill Noelle] Let's take down the priestess when we have a chance for that. Even if she realized she couldnt be as fanatic as she wanted to I think she still may be the danger when she awakes from the shock of loosing herself and Marak.
As for the finale, it was pretty intense from many different perspectives. I felt that Wolfius will run away, however now I am worried for Mathea which he mentioned he is not planning to kill - however she seem to be in his field of interest, which makes me really intrigued.
I feel sorry for Marak and Terroma, however I am not sure about death of one of them. As we saw, Marak had throat cut, however Terroma was thrown away and fell over the cliff. Perhaps he somehow managed to survive in support of something which was there, below the cl… [view original content]
Actually, it is not the longest. The Chapter 6 finale has been a whole part longer and it only included a single PoV. But it is definitely the second longest part I've ever written. And well, thank you very much, I am glad you enjoyed it
My good god Liquid. This might be the longest you've written. I didn't think it was possible but i have gained EVEN MORE respect for you as … morea writer. I would say as a person too but that one has been maxed out for more than a year now.
[Spare Noelle]
I wonder if people will actually agree with me this time.
Fantastic, I love it! What a superb finale!
I am very, very glad to hear this. It has been a bit of a struggle to finish in time (es… morepecially as I noticed that it would be a whole part longer than originally planned), but it seems to have been worth the extra work
Fucking Wolfius! Should've known he'd get away. Screw that crowd btw! Bunch of bloody savages.
Well, he said it over and over again that he has no intention of dying. Wolfius' confidence is partially a result of his insanity, but he also always has some trick up his sleeve. As for the crowd, I fully agree! There are few things less civilized than a crowd that wishes to see blood.
Marak and Terroma
I knew their fight would be epic but I had no idea it'd end with both of their deaths.
I have looked back to the beginning of the chapter, as I remembered that you even made a poll about the outcome of this fight, once it has first been hinted at. It… [view original content]
Ah, yes, this is great! The next chapter is probably the one I have put the most planning into. The Ironborn attack on Raylansfair was planned ever since I started to write Chapter 1, so I am definitely hyped as well!
Sounds like Leonard is going to be our newest POV next chapter. (Maybe?)
Hm, I can confirm that there will be one new PoV in the next chapter and it will be a character that has already been introduced and established a long time ago. Said new PoV won't have the largest storyline, but it will set up some super huge things that will affect several storylines in Book 2.
Anyways that was a good read and overall a splendid chapter to stick with. All kinds of battles and fights I'll be looking forward to.
Glad to hear it! The next chapter is indeed going to include a lot of fighting. It is the penultimate chapter of Book 1 and will continue the tradition from the show, where the penultimate episode is always the most intense in the entire season.
Sounds like Leonard is going to be our newest POV next chapter. (Maybe?)
Anyways that was a good read and overall a splendid chapter to stick with. All kinds of battles and fights I'll be looking forward to.
}:)
There would have been a few ways for Marak to survive, but they would have been harder to achieve than Terroma's survival. A certain set of choices could have led to Terroma's death in the labyrinth in Chapter 6. While Raenna would have confronted Noelle and Marak instead, there wouldn't have been a fight and the situation could have gotten resolved peacefully.
Another key choice was opening the hatch, once again. In his confrontation with Otis, Marak received a nasty arm wound and even Noelle's advanced healing wasn't enough to fully cure him in time. This slowed him down in the fight and ultimately caused his death. There was however no outcome in which both of them get to live.
2) CLAYYYYYYYYYYYYYTON!!!!!!!!!!! I want him to be tortured and then killed. Though i would vote to spare him if possible but i find that unlikely.
You are right, such a vote would be unlikely, considering how dangerous Clayton is and how many lives he ruined. However, it is not unthinkable under certain conditions. We'll see about that later
3) Edrik and Lucas. Samantha was good too and Jaron was interesting. I also like Garthon for the foreshadowing his parts had.
I am very happy to see Garthon among these. He certainly didn't have the most exciting storyline in this chapter, basically only serving to set up the situation he will find himself in in the next, but I really like to work with him as a character and he's going to have some pretty exciting things coming up in the next chapter.
7) To see you improve (if that's even possible with this amazing level of quality), none so far you are great, and ofcourse INVATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I do believe it is always possible to improve. I think I have improved from my first parts, so I don't think I will stay on the same level forever. Hopefully, you will like my writing even more in a year from now.
Jesus man you need to sleep now. Please get some rest. This was about 4 parts in row i think we could go a week with nothing.
1) I like … moreEdrik he seemed pretty cool, Samantha was badass, Lucas and Leonard were cool and Argella was absolutely amazing. Also Kersea was cool and Wolfius was a fun villain.
2) CLAYYYYYYYYYYYYYTON!!!!!!!!!!! I want him to be tortured and then killed. Though i would vote to spare him if possible but i find that unlikely.
3) Edrik and Lucas. Samantha was good too and Jaron was interesting. I also like Garthon for the foreshadowing his parts had.
4) None so far they are great.
5) There were a lot. I'm not sure if can honestly pick favorites but i did really love Argella and Samantha parts. Garthon was good too.
6) Not really. It keeps being excellent if not better.
7) To see you improve (if that's even possible with this amazing level of quality), none so far you are great, and ofcourse INVATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really enjoyed Lucas' dancing on the edge of darkness. I hoped we'd get to see him fully go dark but I don't think that'll be happening now.
No, I think Lucas' darkest moments are indeed over, thanks to Argella systematically building up his confidence again in this chapter. That said, while it is unlikely he will become a completely dark character, it is likely we haven't seen the last of Dark Lucas.
EDIT: ALYSANNE! How could I forget her? She was awesome!
I have read your comment on my phone before you edited it and I was like "Wait, did Agent just forgot to include Alysanne?" XD I think I have said it before, but I am honestly happy that you enjoy her so much. When I originally introduced her, she was planned to be far less sympathetic, but ultimately, it has been your positive opinion on her that caused me to think of a way to portray her in a more positive light, which I think ended up as the best for her character.
Harpy and John. Harpy because I just don't like her and John annoyed me a lot. I still like him though.
I knew you'd include John here. I've noticed that he annoyed you quite a bit in this chapter. I hope to change this in the future again
Edrick because Dante , Lucas because of the reason above and Jenna. I loved Jenna's part's this chapter! Her and Saerya are great together and I can't wait to see more.
Very, very happy to hear this about Jenna. I wasn't too sure if I'd manage to turn her character around, but I think she's on a good way. There is definitely going to be more of her and Saerya and their team-up in the future!
Marak and Terroma's fight, I highly anticipated this moment and it was awesome!
I think this was a really anticipated moment in general, so I am glad I managed to live up to the expectations
More Dan-- I mean Edrick!
I can promise, there will be. There will be a lot more of them in the future. However, I am afraid to announce that it is likely Edrick won't get any parts in the next chapter, as I wish to concentrate on the Ironborn attacks on Raylansfair and Maybros. The same will apply for Jaron and a couple of other PoV's will likely only have a very short storyline. But that said, the chapter in general won't be very long as a result and Edrick's storyline in Chapter 9 is planned to be among the biggest of the entire chapter to make up for his temporary absence
Favourite characters- Marak, Raenna, Dante, Jenna and Lucas. Dante and Raenna because I just love their characters. The rest just really shi… morened in this chapter. Marak when he discovered Otis' secret and him telling Noelle she wouldn't be able to do it and he was a great antagonist. I really enjoyed Lucas' dancing on the edge of darkness. I hoped we'd get to see him fully go dark but I don't think that'll be happening now. I love the direction Jenna's going in.
EDIT: ALYSANNE! How could I forget her? She was awesome!
Least favourite characters- Harpy and John. Harpy because I just don't like her and John annoyed me a lot. I still like him though.
Favourite POV's- Edrick because Dante , Lucas because of the reason above and Jenna. I loved Jenna's part's this chapter! Her and Saerya are great together and I can't wait to see more.
Favourite part and moment- Marak and Terroma's fight, I highly anticipated this moment and it was awesome!
Anything you want to see?- More Dan-- I mean Edrick!
2) CLAYYYYYYYYYYYYYTON!!!!!!!!!!! I want him to be tortured and then killed. Though i would vote to spare him if possible but i find that un… morelikely.
You are right, such a vote would be unlikely, considering how dangerous Clayton is and how many lives he ruined. However, it is not unthinkable under certain conditions. We'll see about that later
3) Edrik and Lucas. Samantha was good too and Jaron was interesting. I also like Garthon for the foreshadowing his parts had.
I am very happy to see Garthon among these. He certainly didn't have the most exciting storyline in this chapter, basically only serving to set up the situation he will find himself in in the next, but I really like to work with him as a character and he's going to have some pretty exciting things coming up in the next chapter.
7) To see you improve (if that's even possible with this amazing level of quality), none so far you are great, and ofcourse IN… [view original content]
I guess Clayton for obvious reasons everyone knows about. Otis, for being sick murderer of innoccent kids.
Objectively, these would be my least favourites as well. Not even Wolfius is so unsettling for me while writing and I definitely did not regret to kill Otis off in this chapter already. Clayton meanwhile... unfortunately he still has a role to play in the things to come, a very important one.
I think it will be Kersea. Her parts was soaked with emotions - those good and bad ones, which made her parts special to read.
Very happy to hear it! I know Kersea hasn't been the most well-received PoV for a very long time, but she has always been a special favourite of mine, for her backstory, for the characters she interacts with, for the dark tone of her storyline and especially for the things that will come up for her in the next chapter.
Actually, letting go of Irving was kind of sad.... even if I voted to send him away. I think I regret it now, from this point of view.
It was a sad scene, yes. But at the same time, it doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. It was the first time Irving actually had to suffer consequences for his actions, so now it might be possible for him to grow as a person.
More blood, more drama! I see this is coming, judging by the recent events, therefore I am going to enjoy this incoming Chapter alot!
I do believe you will like it indeed. Blood and drama, those are probably the two words I'd use to describe the next chapter. A lot of build-up will finally pay off
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Hard to say, actually. I really enjoyed reading Kersea and Alysanne interactions togethe… morer with Argella's with Lucas and Drent. same goes for Raenna and Harrington. Really... lots of characters was my favourite this chapter.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 7?
I guess Clayton for obvious reasons everyone knows about. Otis, for being sick murderer of innoccent kids.
Who were your favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
I think it will be Kersea. Her parts was soaked with emotions - those good and bad ones, which made her parts special to read.
Who were your least favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
Dunno, Edrick I think. Maybe because his PoV appeared quite late and I simply did not get used to him in general.
What has been your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 7?
Whole chapter was full of nice moments and parts in it. Please don't let me choose fr… [view original content]
I think you make this assumption because of the fact that Wolfius had the key to his handcuffs, right? In that case, I can not outright reveal if anyone betrayed the guards, but I can reveal that this detail will make a lot more sense soon!
Comments
I'm actually working on the next Lupin part right now.
Wow, you have caught up way faster than expected! I'm happy that you and your random thoughts are back
Haha, I don't think you have been the only one to be surprised by her survival. Death is definitely a way to stop her, though not necessarily the only one. She's willing to die for her mission, that much is clear, because Clayton harshly reminded her what's at stake. And yes, Leonard is indeed once again in danger. Ah, the struggles of a main character XD
That is a fitting comparison. Otis was horrifying, though for me it was especially unsettling to write his initial parts, where he came off as gruff, rude, but not necessarily evil, before he eventually showed his true face. Showing his true nature was equal parts horrifying and relieving to write, especially as it ended with his well-deserved death.
Oh yes, this is going to be very cool, although a huge misunderstanding as well. That said, Terroma never had any intentions to give them Briar either, while Noelle has no intentions of not taking Briar by all means possible, so a confrontation between them was sort of inevitable. The difference is, now it is personal for Terroma.
I was happy to finally reveal more about their shared backstory. It has been hinted at before and I even outright planned to reveal it months ago, in Chapter 5, but ultimately, I never had the room for it, so now I had to make room. And there was indeed an important glimpse at the next steps of the Alley Cats, which are going to be huge.
They know he is alive and they know they can't do a thing to kill him, as he is guarded by the Alley Cats and his survival is even of personal importance for the Tom. I'd say the knowledge that they haven't managed to kill him after all is not exactly the kind of knowledge they want.
Yes, he is still alive! Noelle is not some kind of monster, willing to murder a man whom she once considered a friend, even if he turned against her. She already is conflicted about her mission, so killing Wulvren is something she just couldn't do. As for his new quest, we'll see more about that in Book 1. His appearance in the latest Raenna part was the last time he appeared in Book 1, but I still have plans for him later on.
Originally, this attack was planned to be in Chapter 9, but for a multitude of reasons, I have decided to push it forwards. Actually, I have just today thought of a few twists during it and well, let's just say that Sadie's storyline in Chapter 8 is now going to be one of my favourites in a chapter that already is full of very exciting scenes. Though, the Ironborn that attacked in her PoV are just a part of the group that sailed with Torvin and Garthon, namely the ships under the command of Durren Stallhart, who is going to have a key role in the next chapter.
I do agree, this one has been really great and gives a lot of insight into the kind of person Lupin is, wich should really built him up for his eventual, inevitable introduction. I look forward for the next part of this Lupin series
I think I have heard very recently that the staff is still working on an updated version of the site. It's clear that something did not work as planned in the last forum update, so they have probably grown more cautious before implementing any further changes, which means longer waiting time for us. But well, it has been promised that this is not the final design and I have faith in Telltale
[Say that everything is okay]
The Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to say that everything is okay
Well... you will soon see if this was a wise decision. I am not too sure which choice I would have made in your place, but probably I would have chosen to stay silent, which was the more neutral option here. But well, it was an important choice and will decide a lot about Ilish's storyline in the next chapter. One thing I am glad about is that it will probably give me the best opportunity to develop Ryler, who is a character with a very intriguing backstory.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I'm writing like the wind, but it is a very long part. It is also the chapter finale.
Ahem, I said it is...
The Chapter Finale!
Much better.
Yes, that is right. After far too many months, the current chapter is finally coming to an end today. It will have twice the length of an ordinary part, which still makes it shorter than last chapter's finale, but it will also include 3 PoV's, namely from Jaron, Arthur and Raenna. I'm not sure if a recap will be necessary, so let's just say, Jaron's part is going to deal with the immediate aftermath of Jaron's most recent decision to kill the Burned Man, Arthur's part is going to deal with the planned execution of Wolfius Woodbark, while Raenna's part finally is going to deal with the confrontation between Noelle and Terroma. All three parts should hopefully be exciting. I have finished Jaron's PoV, will finish Arthur's PoV very soon, but I still have to write the entirety of Raenna's PoV, which is also going to be the largest of the three. And well... this is going to be the first chapter finale to include a choice and it might as well be one of the most important choices of the entire chapter.
HYPEHYPEHYPE
I'm ready!
Scary...
It seems that I comeback just in time for read all my favorite characters deaths!Oh yeah!
Oh god oh god oh god. This is going to be good.
Jaron
It broke Jaron's heart to see Harpy like this. She was shivering, desperately trying to keep her calm, but the tears that poured down her face were prove enough that she was loosing this battle. The knife in her hand was shaking horribly and for a second, Jaron even thought that she was about to faint. He took a deep breath, as he gently touched her wrist. She tensed up under his touch and gave him a tear-stained look, with eyes that were widely opened with fear.
“Harpy”, he said softly and she understood. The knife fell out of her weak grip and the metallic sound of the weapon landing on the stone below was the only thing that broke the silence. She looked away again, at the Burned Man, who was breathing weakly, but steadily. Barely noticeable, she gave him a nod.
Jaron noticed it and so did the Burned Man, who opened his eyes again. This caused Harpy to sob and she took a step towards him again, kneeling down next to her. Gently placing his head in her lab, she stroke through his hair and he smiled. “I'm sorry”, he said. “You were right. You were always right” He gasped, as a new wave of pain flashed through his body. “We should have gone to Lorath”
Harpy closed her eyes, but the last look Jaron saw in them was one of pain. “I wanted more for you”, the Burned Man said. “I wanted to give you the world” Now, Harpy shook her head. “I never wanted the world”, she answered. “I wanted you”
Now, a pained expression appeared on his face as well. “I was afraid”, he admitted. “Afraid that I could not give you what you deserve. Afraid I would be too weak” He sighed. “But I am no longer afraid”, he whispered and looked at Jaron. “Because I know you won't be alone”
Jaron gave him a nod. “I swear it”, he promised. “By my honour, by my love, I swear it” The Burned Man smiled weakly. “And that is why I am ready to go”, he whispered and looked at Harpy, his dark eyes full with love. “You told me I saved you, that it was me who gave your life a meaning” With what little strength he had left, he shook his head. “But it was you who saved me”
Then, he looked back at Jaron. “Thank you”, he said. “For not letting her do it. For protecting her once again. Jaron managed a weak smile. “It will be over soon”, he promised and now, the Burned Man breathed out through his mouth, which almost sounded like a chuckle. “I wanted it to be over once”, he gasped. “Wanted to die because I had nothing left to live”
With a sigh of regret, Jaron glanced at the sword in his hand. He had done such a thing before. He knew where the heart was. The Burned Man noticed his intention and pointed slightly to the right of the centre of his chest. “I never wanted to care. For this city, for the children. But I did and...”, he muttered. “And now I just want to get old and listen to their laughter”
He gave him just the hint of a nod, but Jaron knew, it was his sign. With enough force to do it quickly, he rammed his sword into the Burned Man's chest, the steel cutting right through his heart. The Burned Man's eyes widened, as he gasped for a second, before a smile of relief formed on his face. His gaze was fixed on Harpy, as was hers on him until it was over. The Burned Man was dead.
The shock of what he just did hit Jaron as he pulled the sword out of the man's chest again. He held onto the blade, though he wanted nothing more than to throw it away, wanted nothing more than to sink onto his knees. What had he done? By the gods, what had he done? Through a veil of tears, he saw Harpy clinging onto the Burned Man's corpse, her cries echoing through the room.
Samuel stepped into his field of view, a look of concern on his face. “Hey, hey”, he said, as he put his hands onto Jaron's shoulder and shook him. “You had to do it, for him, for her, you know that!” Jaron looked at him, his fists still clenched and Samuel narrowed his eyes. “And she still needs you. Snap out of it. Pull yourself together and help her” He looked towards the door. “We need to get out of here!”
He let go of Jaron and rushed towards the door, opening it just a gap. Jaron saw Lanfrod glancing through it into the room. “We're leaving. We've been here for too long”, Samuel said and Lanford gave him a nod. “It's all calm out there, but I don't trust the silence”, he growled. “We need to leave, or else we're joining the dead”
Samuel gave Jaron a stern look, before he glanced at Harpy. “I'll be waiting outside”, he sighed, before he moved to the door. Jaron pressed his lips together as he walked towards Harpy. He knelt down next to her and she looked up. Without saying a word, he pulled her into a hug. She let it happen and rested her head against his, though he felt how she tensed up under his touch.
“We must leave”, he said softly. “If we stay, they will find us” He raised from the ground and she slowly followed, after she gently put the Burned Man's corpse down onto the ground. She gave him a wide-eyed, empty stare. “And then?”, she asked and her voice wasn't more than a whisper, before she looked away again. Jaron rested his hands on her shoulder. “We get through this”, he promised. “We must”
No Choices for this part
Arthur
Wolfius would hang on a sunny evening, one of the warmest they had in many weeks. Judging by the large grin on his face, he was well aware of the fact. His wounds had healed nicely, he was able to walk without aid and the slightest hint of a limp didn't seem to bother him.
Right now, they had to shield him. Shield him from the mob that wanted him dead and Arthur couldn't even blame them. They had gathered around the town square, hundreds of men and women with murder in their eyes. Their sight had unsettled even the commander. Hackor had ordered an additional dozen men on each side of Wolfius, to shield him from whatever cruel fate the mob would prefer.
“Make him suffer!”, a voice sounded and through the wall of shields that separated them, Arthur wasn't even able to see the man whom it belonged to. He had the questionable honour of dragging Wolfius through the narrow gap where the guardsmen in front of him had forced the crowd to make way. To his right, from where the voice sounded, the massive body of Aldus Ermo stood between him and the fury of the crowd. The boy was holding a large shield, but it couldn't hide the fear on his face.
“Don't hang him!”, another voice yelled and the other citizens expressed their approval of this. “Stake him!”, a woman screamed. “Flay him alive!”, a shockingly young voice sounded. Arthur exchanged a glance with Valarr Roux, who was standing to Wolfius' left and who had been ordered to assist Arthur in leading Wolfius. Not that his assistance had been necessary. The murderer had been strangely cooperative, accompanying them without a struggle and even allowing them to chain his hands behind his back. The closer they got to the gallows, the better his mood seemed to get.
“Commander”, he said with an affectionate voice. Hackor glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed. He was leading the procession of course, clad in his green armour and a spear in his hands. “I must thank you, commander”, Wolfius said. “Your deep conviction to stick to the rules is admirable”
He chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers down Arthur's spine, even more than the howls of the enraged mob calling for Wolfius' death. “You are a truly lawful man”, he said and Hackor glared at him. “I don't need your compliments”, he growled and Wolfius' smile faded, replaced by a horrifyingly serious expression. “It wasn't meant as a compliment. It was a statement. You are a truly lawful man”, Wolfius clarified. “But that is also the reason why you will fail. Any other man would have killed me on the spot, but not you, no. You had to show the world how the law would triumph” A mocking smirk formed on his face. “But I intend to show them something different. They'll see what a joke it all is, your law. Thanks to you, I won't die today”
With a look of disgust on his face, Hackor turned around again. “Save your breath”, he advised him. “You're going to need it” He glanced up at the gallows and so did Wolfius. The killer's obnoxious smile was wider than ever. “But you have my gratitude”, he repeated. “And for that, I think I will even spare your life” His vicious glare hit Arthur. “Unfortunately, the same can't be said about your children”
This comment caused Hackor to stop walking for a second. Arthur saw how his father clenched his fists, but he did not turn around. “If this is how you want to spend your last minutes, so be it”, he said. “Your idle threats are as pathetic as the rest of you”
Wolfius let out a shrill laugh. “Oh my, someone is loosing his cool!”, he spat, before he looked around. “And the same applies to your men, as I see” He focussed on Aldus. “Fatty here is almost pissing himself”, he said and Aldus gulped. “Or perhaps he's already a step farther. Who made you a guard? I bet you ate all the others who applied for the job”
Aldus shivered and Arthur saw the hint of tears in his eyes. “Please, shu-shut him up”, he stuttered, his voice strained with stress. Wolfius chuckled audibly. “Seven fucking hells, there is enough of you to make three guardsmen. Does that mean they pay you thrice? Huh, clever...”, he scoffed, before he grinned at Arthur. “Yes, he's clever. Not like you, Arthur, not like you or your whore sister”
He did not manage to continue. Just as Arthur had gotten ready to punch him to the ground, Valarr had grabbed the killer by the throat, hard enough to shut him up. Of course, Hackor immediately noticed it. “Valarr!”, he barked and reluctantly, the guardsman let go of him again. “You're representing the guard, Roux. If you can't behave, I will have to reconsider your position”
Valarr grumbled something in return and looked at the ground, while Wolfius raised his eyebrows. “Valarr, isn't it?”, he asked and the guard showed no reaction, aside from a noticeable narrowing of his eyes. “Isn't that galling how I get protected, while you get yelled at and scolded? It's making you angry, isn't it?”
Now, Valarr looked up and for a short moment, he glared at Hackor, before focussing back at Wolfius. “I'm going to enjoy watching you die”, he stated and Wolfius shook his head. “It's going to be the other way around, Valarr”, he responded. “You will die. Fatty will die. Arthur and his sister will die. And Harking, oh so very much” The smile he gave Arthur was almost twisted. “But you can be relieved, Arthur”, he said. “I think I won't kill that healer girl. Mathea, that's her name, isn't it? Yeah, she's off the list. I have use for her talents. Or maybe for her”
Finally, they had reached the wooden steps that led up to the gallows and Arthur let out a thankful sigh. Wolfius' howling laughter was still ringing in his ears. By now, the angry shouts of the crowd had become deafening.
When the murderer was led up to the wooden platform, the crowd erupted into screams of rage. It was the first time many of them got a clear view of him. The nearby tavern had played its part in their current mood, as many of them weren't sober. The only thing that prevented Wolfius' immediate death were four dozen guards, almost half of the entire force.
Not even the presence of Arthur's father was able to calm down the crowd entirely. Hackor raised his arms to silence them and only had slight success. Most of the people were still focussed on the killer next to him. “Citizens of Raylansfair!”, Hackor yelled and his thundering voice swept across the mob, drowning all but the most ardent. “We have gathered here today to deliver justice, to rid the world of a great evil!”
Wolfius rolled his eyes. “He knows how to start a speech”, he whispered into Arthur's direction. “Must be annoying to be the son of such a great man, knowing that you will never be as good as him” Arthur did the mistake of shooting a glare at him and now, Wolfius chuckled again. “Oh, I am so right”, he said. “You know you'll never be as good as daddy and you'll never be good enough for his respect”
“Wolfius Woodbark!”, Hackor yelled, turning towards him. “You have been found guilty of murder in a dozen cases! In the name of House Raylan, you have been sentenced to death by hanging! Because of your exceptional crimes, we will come to the execution immediately” After he said these words, he let out an audible sigh. “If you have any last words, it is your good right to share them with us now”
Wolfius gave him a nod. “I have words, yes”, he said, barely audible through the renewed anger of the crowd. “Shut him up!”, a pot-bellied man in the first row of the crowd screamed and others immediately voiced their support of his demand. “Just cut out his tongue!”, a shrill woman's voice sounded.
Through all of this, Arthur noticed something else. There was a man approaching them through the crowd, with hasty steps. He recognized Daemion Stratford, wearing his uniform and having a look of worry on his face. “Commander!”, he yelled, though the following words were inaudible by the screams of the crowd.
“But they won't be my last”, Wolfius continued. With a grin, he focussed on Daemion, who had reached the gallows by now. The guardsmen immediately stepped aside to let him through. “Commander, we have a problem!”, he said, as he rushed towards Hackor, to whisper something into his ear. Immediately, Hackor's eyes widened. “My god...”, he mumbled. “Are you sure?”
Before Daemion was able to answer, a new sound echoed through the city, loud enough to be clearly audible even over the commotion. It was a horn, a war horn. It came from the sea and it brought Arthur's worst nightmare with it. More horns joined in, into a deep, unsettling cacophony.
“Ironborn...”, a man gasped. “IRONBORN!” Others soon came to the same conclusion, as the formerly angry mob soon turned into the only thing even worse, a panicked mob. People started to rush around, their rage all but forgotten, replaced by deep fear.
Even Hackor was afraid. Arthur only saw it for a moment, but his father showed the same fear that almost paralyzed the other guards. He was simply able to shake it off faster. “Stay calm!”, he yelled. “Gather your loved ones and retreat to the castle! Help each other! Leave no one behind!”
He turned towards Daemion. “Gather the men! We will meet them at the harbour. They will have to pay with their blood for every inch they step into my city!”, he barked, though Daemion did not immediately follow the order. “There's more”, he answered. “Men gather on the eastern road, they march towards the city. Their banner shows a broken sword”
“Second Sons...”, Hackor gasped, his eyes now widely opened. “Then we have to split our forces. Send word to the castle, we need every man they have” Daemion gulped. “And there's...”, he started. “Ser, there's even more. A third group approaches the southern gate, at least five dozen, maybe more. No banner”
“South!”, Hackor exclaimed. “We can't defend the south against that many!” He shook his head. “The castle, we need their help. Send word to Lord Tyrell. And inform Constantine, I want him to lead the men at the southern gate. Maybe Flowers as well, but I need Tallwood at the castle”
“You know, about my words...”, Wolfius mumbled, with a wide grin. He focussed onto a place in the crowd and as Arthur followed his stare, he spotted a figure standing there, short and scrawny, the face hidden underneath a hugely oversized hat. This figure remained calm, slowly approaching the gallows even when everyone around them rushed in panic.
“I have a confession to make”, Wolfius said, now a bit louder. “Commander, when I said I would spare your life...” Just in that moment, the figure had reached the line of guards, who have grown increasingly uncomfortable. Arthur spotted several gaps in their ranks and immediately realized that they had abandoned their post when they heard about the news. He himself almost felt like running away, but not to flee, no. Aditha was somewhere in the city! By the gods, he had let her go, he should have followed her! She was somewhere here and he had no idea where!
“I lied”, Wolfius finished his sentence. In that moment, the figure raised its head, revealing the face of a teenage boy. His skin was deathly pale, his eyes had the same dull, grey colour as Wolfius' and his hair was dark blonde. But what really caused Arthur to hold his breath was the disfiguring scar on his face. It was not exactly a scar, it was more as if part of the face was missing, either chewed off or cut off in a sloppy way. One of his cheeks was missing almost entirely, exposing half of his teeth and part of his gum. The sight was terrifying enough to cause the nearest guards to recoil in surprise. “What the...!”, a guardsman exclaimed. They were his last words, as the boy immediately cut his throat with two daggers, one for each hand.
The other guards jumped back, away from the reach of the short, but deadly... thing that was standing there. Wolfius let out a howling laughter and over all of this, another sound really caused Arthur to freeze in terror. It was the sound of iron hitting wood, As Wolfius' handcuffs fell off his hands and onto the platform.
The first to react was Valarr, who received a quick fist to the face, right into his nose, with enough force to send him to the ground. Quickly, Wolfius spun around and kicked Arthur right between the legs, with enough force to send him to his knees. “A little mouse gave me this here”, he said and raised his left hand, revealing the keys to his chains. “And that” With these words, he spun around, to ram the knife in his right hand straight between Hackor Nathamer's ribs, before the commander was able to fully reach him.
Hackor's eyes widened and he went down onto his knees. As Wolfius pulled his hand back, the blade was red with blood. The beast turned around, to ram it into the chest of a guard that tried to stop him. Below him, guardsmen and people were running around, trying to maintain the order and far too few of them were actually trying to stop the whirlwind of steel and blood that was the boy with the knives. Quickly Wolfius jumped down from the platform, right onto a guard, cutting the man's throat in the process.
Arthur staggered back to his feet, still in a lot of pain. He ignored the chaos around him and focussed only on Wolfius. Pulling his mace from his belt he jumped after him and down the platform. The killer did not see him coming, he was too busy slicing through a guard, a boy who was barely able to move out of fear.
Only seconds after Wolfius had pulled his blade out of the boy's stomach, Arthur had reached him. With an angry roar, he tackled him to the ground, while the panicked crowd was still rushing around him. Arthur expected no help from them, he knew they were more concerned with the Ironborn. He had no doubt that many of them didn't even realize that Wolfius was about to escape again.
He raised his mace with both hands, ready to slam it down onto Wolfius' face. The killer caught him by the wrist with one hand, using the other to deliver quick, brutal punches to Arthur's side. For a man his size, he was shockingly strong and he managed to push Arthur off him seemingly without effort.
Instead of immediately running away, Wolfius now jumped on top of Arthur, while the latter still tried to regain his breath. With cold, methodical brutality, he wrapped on of his hands around his throat, while the other reached for his knife. “This ends sooner than expected, Arthur”, he hissed, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “But don't you worry, I'll send the rest of your family after you soon”
Weakly trying to push away the hand that was wrapped around his throat, preventing him from breathing, Arthur raised his other hand and managed to grab Wolfius' wrist, while the killer tried to push the blade down into his chest. The hand around his throat was even more of a problem, as it prevented him from breathing. Arthur gasped, gurgled, as his face turned red and black spots started to dance in front of his eyes. Slowly but steadily, the knife came closer.
“Father, behind you!”, a voice yelled, in a tone so monotone that it felt out of place in the chaotic scenery. Wolfius did not waste a second. He let go of Arthur and jumped to the side. The sword only cut through thin air, while Arthur started to cough, finally able to breath again. He looked up to see Valarr standing there. There was blood coming out of his nose, but he firmly held onto his sword, pointing it onto Wolfius, who took a step back.
“Father, we need to go!”, the disfigured boy yelled. “They won't be distracted for long!” Wolfius gave him a nod. “Yes, Kreep”, he said. “Good boy. Good boy...” He watched as Arthur struggled back to his knees, still gasping for air and a twisted grin formed on his face. “Until next time, Arthur”, he said, as he gave him the hint of a nod. Then, he turned around and ran through the panicked crowd with the boy right behind him.
“Damn it!”, Valarr's cursed, as he quickly approached Arthur. “Get up! Gods damn it, he's getting away!” He pulled Arthur, still gasping and coughing, back to his feet, before he ran after Wolfius. Just a second later, before Arthur even had fully recovered from nearly getting choked to death, he was gone, vanished into the crowd like the two men he was chasing.
There was one thing that prevented Arthur from immediately following. He turned to his father and to his relief, he saw him alive, even standing, although with the help of Daemion Stratford. “Protect the commander!”, the captain yelled, while Hackor's face was warped with pain.
“I need at least sixty man down at the docks. Forty will hold the eastern gate and send a bloody message to the castle, we need their men at the south!”, Hackor ordered, his voice stern despite his wound. Arthur rushed towards him, a look of pure worry on his face. “Father!”, he said and Hackor glanced at him. “Just a scratch”, he assured him. “I've survived worse” He shivered. “Armour saved my life”
“You're going to lead these men?”, Arthur asked, though Hackor did not even listen. Concern grew on his face, as he looked down the street that led to the docks. “Arthur, where is your sister?”, he asked and Arthur gulped. “I... I don't know. She ran off after... after you...”, he stuttered and the pain on Hackor's face was not only physical for a moment. “The men need someone to lead them...”, he whispered.
Now, Arthur's expression darkened. “She is your daughter!”, he barked. “My sister! We have to find her! We have to save her!” Hackor shook his head. Sternly, he grabbed Arthur by the forearm. “No, this is not what we are going to do”, he told him. “Arthur, you are my son. You have many qualities I admire, but you are no fighter and I forbid you to get yourself killed” His voice was stern, harsh, though Arthur saw worry in his emerald green eyes.
“But... but Aditha!”, he protested and Hackor sighed. “I had this choice before. I had to choose between saving my family or my city. The last time, your mother paid the price for my mistake” He shook his head. “I won't lose my daughter as well!”, he insisted. “Neither will I lose my son. You will not fight, but you will help” He glared at Aldus and the young man seemed to shrink, despite his colossal size. “Boy, help the people to the castle!”, he ordered harshly and Aldus gave him a quick nod. “Yes, Ser!”, he assured him.
“If you don't disappoint me, you won't have to fight”, Hackor promised and immediately, Aldus rushed towards the citizens, trying to convince them to run to the castle. Now, the commander sighed, as he gave Arthur another look, noticeably softer this time. “You are not a fighter”, he repeated. “But you can protect these people in your own way. Bring them to the castle. I will find your sister and bring her there”
“But...”, Arthur started to say, before Hackor cut him off. “Stratford, lead the men to the docks. You're in command until I return!”, he ordered and looked at two guardsmen. “You, come with me!”, he barked. The men saluted, before they rushed after him. Despite his bleeding wound, he was barely slowed down.
Daemion tensed up. “Alright me, you heard the commander!”, he yelled, his voice loud enough to be heard. “Everyone, with me! Let's push these whoresons back into the sea they came from!” His brief words caused loud cheering from some of the more battle-hungry guardsmen. They all followed him. All but Aldus and Arthur, who was left baffled.
Quickly, he looked around. His father had reached the end of the square already, rushing towards their home, as Arthur realized. Hoping to find Aditha. He looked around and saw Aldus, who did a pathetic job in bringing the men to the castle. The boy was half-mad with fear, even worse than most of the people around him. Then there was Daemion, whom Arthur knew could need him. He was not a fighter, that much was true, but he knew how to swing his mace and he knew that every man would count at the docks. And finally Valarr... the man had saved his life before running after Wolfius and now he was alone out there, alone with two killers...
[Help Aldus] [Go after Valarr] [Go after Daemion] [Go after Hackor]
Raenna
“They're up ahead”, Davith said, as he moved through the underbrush. For someone who had spent a majority of his life in a city, his steps were remarkably soft. “The priestess and some beast of a man, huddled next to a campfire, on the clearing just ahead. There's a cliff to their back, so they have nowhere to run”, he further explained, before a shiver went through his body. “And they have already built a pyre”
Raenna pressed her lips together as she heard this. She glanced at Briar Catelins, who was standing next to Ando. The sellsword was doing his best to keep her preoccupied, to distract her while the rest talked about the people that wanted her dead. “As expected”, Abbas hissed. “She's a presumptuous bitch, like the rest of her cult”
“She has to die”, Terroma mumbled. He had taken it badly when Raenna told him about what she had seen at the burning house. Of course he had, but even expecting such a reaction, Raenna was shocked by his grief. He hadn't cried. He hadn't screamed and from the look in his eyes, she knew he wasn't blaming her either. He was only blaming himself. His sentence, it was not only a statement, it was a promise.
“Works for me”, Abbas agreed. “I never had any love for people like her. Firebrands, every single one of them, relishing in the misfortune of others all for the sake of their mad demon god” His words were full with spite and it was the first time Raenna had to agree with the emotions the Ghiscari showed. He hadn't cracked a single terrible joke since they had found the burning corpse of Ellena Terys, instead he had been cold, entirely focussed on their mission.
“Do we really have to do that?”, Ando asked. “Taking vengeance, I mean?” Davith raised an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?”, he asked. “That monster burned a little girl, for no other reason then that she could”
Ando gave him a nod. “And killing the priestess won't bring the girl back”, he said. “It'll only claim more lives. Perhaps one of ours as well” Terroma didn't even look at her. “She has to die”, he repeated in a quiet, cracking voice. Raenna took a deep breath, as she approached him. She saw the sorrow in his eyes. Silently, she reached for his hand, gently putting her own into it.
“Do you have a plan?”, Brandon asked and Terroma gave him a nod. “We will surround her”, he said. Me and Raenna, we will approach them from the south. The rest travels around the clearing, to attack from the east”
“I agree”, Abbas stated, as he and Bakr exchanged a glance. The hulking slaver, usually in a jolly mood, was just as visibly angry as his companion. “I'm with you”, he growled. Davith gave him a nod as well. “And I owe you, I owe you more than just that. You have my sword in the coming fight”
Finally, Brandon sighed. “I don't like this, but Davith brought up a good point. I owe you and so does Ando”, he said with a firm voice. His friend closed his eyes, before he nodded. “Yes, we will help you”, he stated. “May the gods have mercy on us all”
“Good”, Terroma said tonelessly. “Wait for me to make the first move. She expects me, but I doubt she expects all of you. If we can take her by surprise, we minimize the risk” A grim smirk formed on Abbas' face. “Anything else?”, he asked and Terroma glared at him. “We leave no survivors”, he answered.
“Wait...”, Ando spoke again. “If we all fight, then who is looking after Briar?” Terroma sighed. “We will take her with us”, he revealed and the red-haird man raised his eyebrows. “Into the fight?”, he asked. “No way, you can't mean to do that!”
Terroma shook his head. “Not into the fight. Just with us”, he said. “I won't leave her here. There are wolves in this forest” He gave Raenna a soft look. “Raenna, you will make sure that Briar will stay with you at the edge of the clearing. Do not let go of her and do not intervene”
Under any other circumstance, Raenna would have protested. She wanted to help, not only by looking after Kersea's little sister. But even now, a solid hour after leaving the house behind, she had trouble breathing, as her entire throat felt sore from the smoke. It wasn't exactly unbearable pain, but it was slowly wearing her down. She had no doubt that right now, she would be of little use to Terroma in a fight and they couldn't wait until she would feel better. Even worse, she might even hinder him, might even give him an additional target to focus on, as she knew, he would go out of his way to keep her from harm.
His words seemed to please even Ando. “Good. As long as she will be kept from harm, I agree with this solution”, he confirmed. He hesitated for a moment and looked at Brandon, who gave him a nod. “And... I just want to say that you can count on me. One way or the other, I will be with you until the end, even if I may not agree with you”
After this statement, they left. Davith walked first, having scouted the area properly before. Abbas and Bakr followed and especially the larger man had visibly and audible trouble with making his way through the forest without causing too much noise and destruction in his path. Finally, Brandon and Ando walked after them. While Brandon's determined glare was enough for Raenna to know that she could trust him, the hesitation on Ando's face concerned her. Violence was far from her first way of solving problems, but this time, she had to agree with Terroma. This priestess, Noelle, she had to die.
She noticed the sorrowful look on Terroma's face and gave him a mild look. “It is my fault”, he sighed, after the last of their companions had left. Only he, Raenna and Briar were left and the young girl seemed to be obviously uncomfortable with this. “It's not”, Raenna responded sternly, but he only shook his head. “I should have never left her”, he sighed. “I wanted to stop Clayton so badly, I didn't even consider that I would put her into danger” With pain in his gaze, he closed his eyes for a second. “If I had stayed with her...”
“Then Briar would still be in Mullendore's dungeons, just like Brandon, Ando and Davith”, Raenna insisted. “Doesn't that mean anything? You did good, a lot of it” Terroma clenched his fists. “But is it enough to surpass the bad I did?”, he asked. And Raenna knew that he hadn't followed his prime rule, the one thing he had always tried to teach her. He had allowed his guilt to catch up with him.
“You couldn't know”, she said and he tensed up. “I should have known”, he answered. “Whom if not me? I should have known and I should have prevented it. I didn't, because I was too focussed on stopping Clayton” His voice cracked for a moment. “Now it is all I have left”
“That is not true”, Raenna said again, trying to snap him out of his grief. There was a fight coming and having him wailing in sorrow, it was the last thing he needed right now. The time to mourn would be later. “You have me. And Kersea as well, after we save her. And Briar, isn't that right?”
The young girl gave her an enthusiastic nod, even though she had no idea what Raenna was talking about. “Yes!”, she answered and her smile got a bit smaller. “Uh, when do we get to see Kersea? I really miss her” For a second, a hint of Terroma's usual kind smile flashed over his face. “Soon”, he promised wholeheartedly. “First we have to deal with something important. Then, we get your sister back and bring you home. I will make sure that you will live in peace from now on”
“Great!”, Briar exclaimed. “It wasn't so nice at Uncle Maron's place. He was great, but it was dark down there and sometimes I heard strange things” She looked around through the forest. “This is so much better! Almost reminds me of home” Her enthusiastic smile was contagious, even though Raenna still felt sick from what she had seen at the house. “And can Uncle Maron come and visit us? I know he's not my real uncle, but he is so nice”
Terroma's smile died down as he and Raenna exchanged a look. Then, Raenna knelt down next to the girl. “Of course”, she lied to her. She felt horribly for doing this, but this particular truth was something she didn't want to burden Briar with. Maybe once the girl was older, she would understand. But for now, Raenna didn't want to waste her innocence. It was a wonder she even managed to keep it for so long. “I will send Uncle Maron a letter and I will invite him to visit you as often as he likes”, she promised. “But it will be a very far way to travel and he is a busy man. I don't know how often he can come”
Briar's smile faded, but she gave her an understanding look. “Oh... that's alright, I guess”, she mumbled in slight disappointment. “I hope he comes to visit me. I have always told him about my home. It had a room for me and one for Kersea and one for mother and father and a large living room where we always had a warm fire burning” Her smile returned slowly as she spoke. “And there was a small fence around the front of the house and a hedge where sweet berries grew”, she explained. “Do you like berries? I love berries! Mo...” She paused and her smile grew noticeably thinner. “Mother used to bake them into a pie...”, she mumbled.
Raenna sighed as she put a hand onto the girl's shoulder and a kind smile. “I love berries as well”, she said. “And pie is not too bad either” This caused Briar to smile again. “Maybe I can bake you a pie once we're home!”, she said and looked at Terroma. “And you too! Do you like berry pies?”
The smile on Terroma's face was even half-genuine and Raenna smirked at him. “Do you see what you have done?”, he asked and he gave her a nod, with tears in her eyes. “I see it”, he said and smiled down at Briar. “And I would love some pie as well” Then, his smile faded again, as quick as it came. “But first it is time to end this”, he mumbled and looked at Raenna. “Are you ready?”
“Always”, she confirmed, as they started moving. She was holding Briar's hand tightly, as they walked through the nightly forest. Terroma led them, but Raenna tried her best to keep up with him, without putting Briar through too much stress. More than once she stopped to gently warn the girl whenever a particularly dangerous root was lying in the way. A nightly forest has to be taken seriously and the last thing the wanted was for Briar to fall and to hurt herself. She wanted vengeance on the priestess, if only because she hurt Terroma, but it wasn't worth risking Briar's safety.
They didn't have to go far. Soon afterwards, Raenna spotted a light in the distance, through the trees. Terroma slowed down, though he continued moving. There was no trace of the rest of her group, which likely meant that they were already in position, just waiting to strike.
As Raenna moved closer through the thick underbrush, she finally spotted the clearing in its entirety. It was surrounded by forest on three sides, though she saw that the fourth was sharply cut off, likely some kind of cliff. The clearing was covered into the light of a campfire. Under other circumstances, she would have considered it to be warm, but right now, it seemed more ghastly than anything else.
The two figures on it were throwing the shades of giants, but Raenna was able to see that they were anything but. Admittedly, one of them was rather tall, a true beast of a man. The red-haired sellsword they had mentioned, Samuel Puffer, Archmaester Wulvren and just a few minutes ago, Davith. Noelle's muscle. Marak was sharpening his axe at a steady pace, glancing around the forest. She had no doubt that he had no idea where they were.
The priestess was a different case entirely. She was young, perhaps only a few years older than Raenna and even in the dim light, she looked beautiful, with olive skin and lush, dark red hair. Even her eyes seemed as red as the dress she was wearing and she was focussed exactly at the spot where they were standing, as if she was able to see them through the darkness.
Now, Terroma stopped completely, having obviously noticed that she was looking at them. Not only into their direction, but directly at them. As if she was noticing Raenna's stare, a slight smirk was forming on her face. Behind her, barely visible in the darkness, Raenna saw a pole in the ground. She narrowed her eyes as she recognized the pyre Davith had mentioned.
“Raenna...”, Terroma mumbled and looked at her. Before he was able to say anything, she hugged him tightly. “I never had children of my own”, he whispered into her ear. “But I don't think I would have ever been able to love them as much as I love you” His warm smile sent tears to her eyes. “Stay safe”, she urged him and he gave her a nod. “Only if you do the same”, he answered. “I could not bear losing you as well”
“Never”, she answered and managed a weak smile. She looked down at Briar, who was staring at them with all of her innocence. “I'll stay here and I will make sure that Briar is going to stay save as well”, she promised.
Terroma gave her one last smile, before he turned to the clearing. After taking a deep breath, he stepped through the underbrush and onto the clearing. “Priestess”, he said. His tone was hollow, his voice was cracking, though it carried far in the night.
Marak jumped up, having obviously not noticed him until now. He tensed up visibly, while the priestess remained calm and collected. “I've been awaiting you, Old Man”, the priestess purred in a deceptively warm tone. “Come closer, into the light. Warm yourself at our fire, for the night is dark and full of terrors”
Terroma approached her and as he answered, Raenna froze in terror. The tone in his voice... This was a man pushed beyond his breaking point. A very dangerous man, a man who had just given up on controlling his inner beast. “The night might be dark, priestess”, he said and his voice redefined the absence of warmth. “But I am the only terror you have to fear”
Raenna tensed up, as she heard his words. Yes, he was a terror when he was like this and any person in their right mind should fear him. Obviously not the priestess, but after all she had done, Raenna was almost sure that she was insane. She had to be. What kind of a monster would burn a little girl for nothing?
Noelle's smile grew more strained for a second. “I think you're mistaken”, she said calmly. “Please, I wish to talk to you. There are many things to discuss and perhaps we can reach an agreement. I'm sure you will see my point”
Her brazen smugness caused burning anger to flare up inside of Raenna and she had no doubt that Terroma felt similarly. Without hesitating, he started to approach her. “Noelle...”, Marak growled. “Screw this, just let me kill him” The priestess gave him an irritated glare. “Killing him?”, she asked. “But why? I'm sure he'll see reason, isn't that right, Old Man?”
Terroma showed no signs of slowing down and he even broke into a sprint one he had approached her up to two dozen feet. Marak spat onto the ground. “I don't think he wants to talk”, he barked and raised his axe. “Luckily, I don't want to either”
And then, he charged at Terroma, while Raenna was only able to look at him with eyes that were widely opened with fear. Marak's axe cut through thin air, as Terroma dodged his attack, though he took a step to the side, averting to get stabbed in the stomach. Terroma slid past him, before he turned around again, facing his opponent with the most terrifying glare Raenna had ever seen.
“Now!”, the voice of Brandon sounded and just a second later, the rest of the group crashed through the forest. Well, almost. Ando was absent and Raenna cursed him in her mind. The priestess should have been surprised, but she saw that Noelle only seemed to be mildly irritated by four armed men charging at her. “Fools”, she uttered coldly, before she raised her right hand. She waited for a second and a smile formed on her face. Then, she snapped her fingers.
Immediately as she did so, fire flared up, flames as high as the trees that surrounded the clearing, in a circle right around the group, trapping them inside. It was magic, the clearest display of power Raenna had ever seen and enough to interrupt the fight between Marak and Terroma, as both men took a moment to gasp at Noelle's move.
The priestess smirked smugly. “I know the future”, she claimed. “All it took was a bit of oil at the right spot and some timely intervention from the Lord” Her eyes narrowed, as she turned towards Terroma, now with a large, burning circle behind her. Raenna was able to hear the trapped screams of her group, who were not directly burned, but slowly cooked from the heat. “Do you see it now?”, Noelle asked, her eyes narrowed, as her voice slowly turned cold beyond comparison. “I know your future and it will be very short if you don't drop your weapon and listen to me!”
Terroma was still slightly shocked, but so was Marak. He shook his head. “There is nothing to discuss”, he answered, before he tried to attack the sellsword. Marak jumped back, as his axe cut through the air, forcing Terroma to dodge. Noelle sighed. “So be it, you old fool”, she barked.
“They are fighting”, Briar muttered and Raenna knelt down next to her, focussing on the girl, so that she didn't have to focus on the gruesome scenery that was displayed on the clearing. The only father she had ever known, fighting against a beast twice his size. It was not the first thuggish brute she had seen Terroma killing, but she knew, this one was different. This one was experienced and unlike Terroma, he was in top condition.
“Don't look at them”, Raenna urged her, though Briar shook her head. “No!”, she protested. “They are fighting, we must help Terroma!” Her display of bravery was heartwarming, but Raenna knew, it was futile. There was nothing they were able to do. “We must stay here”, she told her, but again, Briar only glared at her. “I am not stupid!”, she insisted. “I know they are fighting because of me. Terroma, he wants to keep me save!” Right now, the innocence faded from her face and tears formed in her eyes, which were just as grey as Kersea's, as Raenna just now noticed. “Mother did the same. She protected me and she is dead because of it, because of me!”, she yelled, before she decidedly shook her head. “No one else will die because of me!”
Before Raenna was able to grab, her Briar had already started to run. “Briar, no!”, she screamed, but the young girl did not listen. She had already reached the edge of the clearing and Raenna jumpe back to her feet. Her lungs protested, but her own conviction won over her pain. “Come back!”, she screamed, as Briar rushed towards the fighting men. “NO!”
Noelle turned towards the girl and a surprised, but triumphant smile formed on her face. “Marak!”, she yelled and just for a second, the sellsword shifted his attention towards the approaching girl. This second was almost too much, as Terroma immediately attacked, forcing Marak to outright parry the strike. Terroma's small knife clashed against the massive hilt of Marak's axe.
Finally, Briar had reached them. She was faster than Raenna, who was nonetheless still running after her. Without showing even the slightest fear of being caught between these two dangerous men, she raised her hands, as she stood right between them. “Enough!”, she yelled with her high voice, which had turned shrill by now, from exhaustion, anger and sadness. “You won't...” She did not manage to continue, as Marak grabbed her by her tiny arm, lifting her up, while swinging his axe with one hand.
He did not strike at her, but rather at Terroma, forcing him into the defensive once more. He used the force of his movement to throw Briar behind him in a high arch. The girl heavily landed on the ground, just a few feet away from Noelle. As she hit the ground, she let out a scream of pain, followed by sobs, as the priestess immediately approached her.
Raenna stopped directly between them. To her right, Noelle reached down to grab Briar, who was sobbing in pain. The girl was bleeding, where she had hit the ground and this only caused Raenna to hate the sellsword even more. To her left, Terroma was still fighting against Marak. When she saw that he was forced into the defensive more and more, she made her decision. As fast as she could, she rushed towards Terroma, while Noelle dragged a screaming Briar to the pyre behind her.
Marak saw her coming. The sellsword took a step back, which saved his life, as she slid past him and underneath the swing of his axe. His movement caused her blade to only cut through air, as it otherwise would have cleanly gutted him. Raenna jumped back to her feet to Terroma's right side. The old man gave her a surprised glance. “Raenna!”, he barked. “I told you to stay with Briar!” He glanced past Marak, to see how Noelle just reached the pyre, forcing a heavily crying Briar onto it.
“She ran”, Raenna explained. “Wanted to prevent you from killing yourself. And I have the same intention. You are wounded!” Terroma gave her a nod and as she glanced at his side, she saw that his wound had reopened. She could only imagine the amount of will it took him to remain so stoic about it. “So is he”, he whispered. “His left arm. It must be an older wound, but it still affects him. It is his slow side and you have always been faster than me”
Raenna smirked thinly, as both eyed the red-haired sellsword. Marak chuckled. “Two against one, huh?”, he barked. “Well, more for me to kill” Then, he attacked. His axe did a vertical strike, right between Raenna and Terroma, forcing them to split up. The he did a wide, horizontal strike, starting at Terroma's position, who jumped back with ease, before spinning towards Raenna.
She had seen this move coming, it was typical for an opponent with a superior range. Luckily, she knew just what to do against it. Instead of jumping back, as Terroma did, she jumped forwards. If he would have used a sword, she wouldn't have done it, but a majority of his axe was claimed by the handle, which was not exactly dangerous. She was faster than him and even before any part of his weapon could reach her, she had embedded her dagger in his shoulder.
Marak roared in pain, though he still managed to slam the handle of his axe against her side, instantly pressing the air out of her lungs and forcing her to stagger backwards and to let go of her knife. Still roaring, or perhaps screaming, Marak turned towards Terroma, striking at him with one hand, which was still enough to keep him at bay.
His free hand moved towards the dagger in his shoulder. He removed the weapon and threw it onto the ground right next to him. Raenna lunged towards it, in the desperate attempt to regain her weapon fast enough to help Terroma. Too late did she notice that he had clenched his fist. Once she was in range, he heavily punched her in the face.
For the first second, Raenna was sure that she would pass out. He only hit her cheek, but she was sure that he could have easily broken all of her teeth if he would have aimed a little lower, at her jaw. The force was still enough to floor her immediately. Horrible pain flashed through her cheek and by extension, her entire head. Stay awake!, she thought. Stay conscious! Get up! Help Terroma!
Terroma... through the dark spots that danced around her eyes, she saw him desperately attacking Marak. His wound slowed him down, while Marak barely seemed to notice his new one. To her other side, Noelle tightly bound Briar to the pole, not reacting in the slightest to the girls pleas for help.
Her hearing was the first to return back to normal. At first, Briar's cries and the blazing fire that surrounded the rest of her group was only muffled, though it quickly grew louder again. Her sight followed and by the time she had struggled back to her knees, she was able to see properly again. What she saw caused her to rush to her knife as fast as she still could.
Terroma was standing with his back to the cliff, having been forced back step after step. Marak had a wide grin on his face, as he pushed his axe forwards, causing Terroma to take yet another step back, to the point where his feet almost found no ground to stand on anymore. “Any last words?”, he asked. Through a veil of tears and pain, Raenna saw that Terroma looked at her, calmly. He smiled, the warm, fatherly smile she loved so much. “Valar Morghulis”, he said.
Marak attacked. The blade of his axe moved towards Terroma at full speed. Instead of trying to dodge, a move that would have likely been futile, Terroma did something so risky that is caused Raenna to scream. He jumped up, doing a salto in the air and narrowly managed to avoid the blade of the axe. Instead of the ground, he managed to land on the handle of the weapon with both feet.
Though surprised by this display of acrobatics, Marak did not hesitate. With his left hand, he grabbed Terroma by the belt, before he made a complete turn, gaining enough speed and the accompanying force to throw Terroma above the edge of the cliff in a high arch.
Raenna screamed as she saw him fall out of sight, just screamed at the top of her lungs, as she finally reached her dagger. Her screams were cut short, replaced by a feeling of empty sadness, a loss she wasn't even fully able to grasp yet.
“Well done, Marak!”, Noelle complimented her dog smugly. “Now eliminate the dragon girl and then it'll be done” She narrowed her eyes as the sellsword showed no reaction, still facing the cliff, his back turned towards both women. “Marak?”, she asked.
Finally, Marak turned around. His eyes were widened and Raenna saw that his vest was already stained with the blood that poured out of the deep gash on his neck. The emptiness inside of Raenna got filled with a tiny bit of grim, bitter triumph, as she realized that this had been Terroma's final attack. When Marak had spun him around to throw him over the edge, he had opened the sellswords neck. “Noelle...”, Marak gasped and as he spoke, a gust of blood came out of his mouth, a darker shade of red than the beard it flew into. Then, he staggered backwards and to the ground, stumbling over the edge of the cliff as well.
“MARAK!”, Noelle screamed and it was the first time Raenna heard anything from her that wasn't smug. In fact, she sounded panicked. The glare she gave Raenna was one of pure anger. By now, Raenna had staggered back to her feet. Briar... She had to save Briar! The girl was tied to the pyre, but Noelle hadn't started a fire.
Now, the priestess raised her hand. “Stay where you are!”, she ordered. Raenna did not listen. Noelle snapped her fingers and immediately, sharp, burning pain flashed up inside of Raenna, enough to cause her to stagger and to gasp. Noelle narrowed her eyes. “I said, stay where you are!” Once again, Raenna did not listen and once again, Noelle snapped her fingers. The pain inside of her was even more intense this time, almost forcing her to her knees. She still stumbled forwards. “STAY BACK!”, Noelle screamed at the top of her lungs. When she snapped her fingers, it felt as if Raenna's inner organs exploded in fire. She instantly fell to the ground, in too much pain to even scream, as she clawed at her own chest, trying to stop the pain inside of her.
“The blood of the dragon”, Noelle spat. “But only half of it. It's the other half that brought you down at last” As Raenna still rolled on the ground, whimpering in agony, the priestess approached the campfire. She reached down to her bag and pulled a small, black vial out. With her other hand, she grabbed one of the burning logs of the campfire and turned back towards Briar.
The girl struggled. “No!”, she screamed. “Please, no! Don't do this! Don't! Please, I don't want to die!” Without mercy, Noelle splattered the oil inside of the vial onto her. “It must be done”, she answered calmly, before she moved the hand holding the log closer. And then, something happened with Raenna had not expected. The Red Priestess stopped.
“It must be done”, she repeated tonelessly, her eyes widely opened, as she looked at the girl. “It is His will” She shook her head. “I must do it. I have to be strong enough” Her hand shivered and now, Raenna saw tears flowing down her face. “It must be me...”, she whispered. “Why? Why? Oh Lord, anything but this!”
Then, she turned her face to the sky and screamed, half in sorrow and half in rage, throwing the burning log away from Briar as fast as possible. For a second, the flames that still surrounded Raenna's group flared up, higher than before, before they died the moment Noelle sank to her knees.
Inside of the former circle, Raenna spotted her group, lying on the ground, in pain, but alive and without serious injuries. “I can't do it...”, the priestess mumbled, as the pain in Raenna's chest faded and she managed to get back to her feet. “Lord, have mercy, for I am weak. I can't do it... Marak has been right”
At a steady pace, Raenna approached the priestess, a hollow stare on her face. Almost with a relieved smile, Noelle looked up at her. “I can't do it... I... I can't...”, she stuttered. “It sounded so easy, but now... but now...” Tears streamed down her face and finally, Raenna realized what just happened. “You can't do it?”, she growled.
Noelle shook her head. “He told me. Marak, I mean. I haven't listened. Oh god, I should have listened”, she said. All of the pain inside of Raenna was gone, as was the sorrow, when she fully realized that Terroma had just died. “My father is dead”, she mumbled and glared at the priestess. “He died because of your madness and now you see that you can't do it?”
Noelle opened her mouth to speak, though Raenna shut her up by slamming her fist into the priestess' face with all her power. For a short moment, the person that was Raenna was gone. There was only fury, the fury of the dragons that made up half of her family. Without holding back, she threw heavy punches at Noelle, hitting her in the face with her right hand, then with her left, right, left, right, moving her knee upwards and ramming it against Noelle's chin, sending the priestess to the ground entirely.
The dragon jumped on top of the priestess, pressing the air out of the woman's lungs as she hit her. Throwing punches at her, strong, terrifying, fuelled by a rage that could burn an empire to the ground. Throwing punches at Noelle's chest, her throat and, over and over, her face, destroying the cold beauty the woman might once possessed. Quickly, the face of the priestess was swollen, bleeding from a dozen cuts, which were almost hidden beneath black and purple bruises. If Noelle had any magic to protect herself, she wasn't using it.
The dragon growled, as she pulled the other woman back up, only to slam her down, face first onto the ground, breaking her nose in the process. She reached for one of the logs Noelle had used to build the pyre, slamming it against the woman's face, hard enough to break it in two. Amid a rain of splinters and blood, Noelle reached the ground again.
“Get up!”, the dragon growled. “Get up! You're going to suffer the pain of a thousand deaths before I kill you!” The priestess mumbled something, but she did not listen. “GET UP!”, she screamed at the top of his lungs, her voice cracking with rage.
She reached down again, to cover the other woman with punches, though someone held her back. She broke free of the grip around her arm, before she slammed her elbow backwards. A pained scream sounded and for a moment, Raenna returned. A moment was enough to cause the fury to fade, almost, and to cause her to look around.
Her group stood there, staring at her. Abbas was grinning in triumph, while Davith seemed shocked. Brandon meanwhile almost seemed impressed. And then she noticed that she had almost beaten Noelle to death, right in front of Briar. The girl was staring at her in pure fear, though Raenna was not sure if it was a result of her losing control, or the fact that she had almost been burned to death. Perhaps both. She looked down at her hands, covered in blood, before she glanced over her shoulder.
Ando stood behind her, covering his bleeding nose. “Raenna, it's over!”, he said. “She tricked us! She tricked us!” And then, Raenna saw someone behind him. A young girl, perhaps around twelve years old, tall for her age, with olive skin and dark, messy hair, her eyes wide with shock. “Ellena...”, she mumbled, before she glared at the priestess. “You did not kill her?”
With the little strength she had left, Noelle shook her head, a look of sudden realization on her battered face. “Of course not...”, she whispered, before Raenna rushed towards her again. “I'm going to kill you!”, she screamed. Brandon got to her first. Heavily holding her in his arms, he prevented her from reaching Noelle. “No!”, he said. “Not like this. Don't do it like this!” He sternly looked at her. “Do it if you have to, but do it cleanly”
Behind her, Ando cleared his throat. “Look at her”, he said. “She is beaten. Defeated. Enough blood has been shed today. Just leave her be. This will be worse than killing her” And finally, Abbas approached them, his grin getting wider and wider. “Killing her? Well, what are you waiting for?”, he asked. “Terroma is dead because of her. I never liked the old man, but I respected him and he was a thousand times the person she is. She is scum” He presented his arakh, hilt first, offering it to her. “Do me the honour”
Finally, Noelle gasped. “Kill me if you must...”, she stuttered. “Whatever you do... it will be... His will... And if I die.... it will be my punishment... His will... your choice...”
[Kill Noelle] [Spare her life]
End of Chapter 7: Valar Morghulis
Your Choices:
Loyalty: Lucas decided to declare for House Durrandon
Rescue: Richard decided to help Axell and Hal
Priority: Sadie decided to help Leo
Punishment: Marak decided to kill Otis
Burden: Jaron decided to kill the Burned Man himself
Next time on Forum of Thrones:
“Row faster, you scum!”, Cleaver Clint barked at the top of his lungs. “I'll be the first man in that city, or else I'll chop off your fucking hands!” He glared at Garthon and Torvin. “These pansy traitors won't beat me to it, you hear me? They fucking won't!” With a sigh, Garthon averted his eyes and looked at Torvin instead. “Brother”, he said and Torvin barely looked up. He noticed the worried expression on the faces of each of his men. This would be it. This would be, where their fates would be decided.
Hal let out a pained groan as Richard poured the alcohol onto his wound. His teeth were clenched and at least he successfully prevented himself from screaming. Through all of this, Richard noticed that his brother was not moving away from the window. “Richard...”, Alan gasped. “Richard, I think there are people down the path” Richard raised an eyebrow. “Axell and Ed maybe”, he answered, though he knew he was wrong. Quickly, Alan shook his head. “They are more”, he said. “Far more. And they have weapons”
“We need your men!”, Leonard urged her. “Please, there are people dying in the streets. My people!” Argella looked at him, her face showing no sign of emotion, even if Drent could guess at the battle she was waging in her mind. “Please, princess, without your men, none of mine will see the light of dawn again” Just as Argella opened her mouth to answer, Tariel cut her off. “And why should we be concerned, Ser?”, she asked. “Why should we send our own men to death? Who among you would be willing to do the same for us? Tell us one good reason why your lives matter more than ours”
The fire around him barely seemed to bother him, as he approached the downed knight. Leonard struggled to get back to his feet, but one of his men was faster, one of the few that had actually survived the explosion. Without even hesitating, Clayton grabbed his arm, before embedding his sword in the man's side. Letting go of the dying body, he focussed on the knight again, with a satisfied smile on his face. “So then, Leonard Constantine”, he said politely. “How do you wish to die?”
The surrounding Ironborn were not silent. They were chanting, in a low, ghastly tone that sent shivers down Sadie's spine. The large Ironborn turned towards her, blood still dripping down the blades of both axes. Blood had splattered across his entire breastplate, even onto the long, narrow tusks that were attached to the bevor of his armour. It was not enough to fulfil the thirst of blood that was in his eyes. “Durren! Durren! Durren! Durren!”, his men chanted, as Sadie tightly grabbed her sword, her hands shaking in fear. Stallhart slammed his axes together, before pointing both of them right at her.
At last, all Garthon had left to do was to draw his sword. The blade slid out of the sheath smoothly, with a faint, metallic sound. In the same movement, he pointed it at the city in the distance. “What is dead may never die!”, he screamed.
And three hundred voices answered to him.
Forum of Thrones, Act III, Chapter II: What Is Dead May Never Die; Coming Soon
Goodness, that was a lot of writing, a lot more than expected. Another part, another all-nighter. Let's just say, that was not easy to write, as these characters have been developed over the timespan of almost two years now. I must admit, my eyes are wet and it's not only from utter exhaustion. I hope you enjoyed the read as much as I enjoyed the write. And well, stay tuned for the absolutely massive things that have been set in motion in this part. The next chapter is going to include several parts that will be even harder for me to write and which I am, at the same time, even more excited for, strange as it sounds. As always, thank you very much for reading! Your support means the world to me
For now, I will leave you with the usual couple of questions:
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Who were your favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
Who were your least favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
What has been your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 7?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 8 or anything else you'd like to say?
Also, do not forget to vote, if you haven't done so already. Both of the votes here (In Raenna's and Arthur's parts) will be extremely important for the next chapter!
My good god Liquid. This might be the longest you've written. I didn't think it was possible but i have gained EVEN MORE respect for you as a writer. I would say as a person too but that one has been maxed out for more than a year now.
[Spare Noelle]
I wonder if people will actually agree with me this time.
Jesus man you need to sleep now. Please get some rest. This was about 4 parts in row i think we could go a week with nothing.
1) I like Edrik he seemed pretty cool, Samantha was badass, Lucas and Leonard were cool and Argella was absolutely amazing. Also Kersea was cool and Wolfius was a fun villain.
2) CLAYYYYYYYYYYYYYTON!!!!!!!!!!! I want him to be tortured and then killed. Though i would vote to spare him if possible but i find that unlikely.
3) Edrik and Lucas. Samantha was good too and Jaron was interesting. I also like Garthon for the foreshadowing his parts had.
4) None so far they are great.
5) There were a lot. I'm not sure if can honestly pick favorites but i did really love Argella and Samantha parts. Garthon was good too.
6) Not really. It keeps being excellent if not better.
7) To see you improve (if that's even possible with this amazing level of quality), none so far you are great, and ofcourse INVATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Help Aldus]
[Spare her] She can see the future.
Fantastic, I love it! What a superb finale!
Fucking Wolfius! Should've known he'd get away. Screw that crowd btw! Bunch of bloody savages.
[Help Aldus] I was going to help at the docks because I think that's where Arthur is needed the most but as Arthur mentioned, Aldus is doing a piss poor job and what he's doing is important too. Plus there are more important things then Wolfius right now.
Marak and Terroma
I knew their fight would be epic but I had no idea it'd end with both of their deaths.
[Spare Noelle] This is murder, I cannot allow it. Ando was right from the start, we don't need vengance.
I shit you not, reading this combined with the music got me so hyped!
Favourite characters- Marak, Raenna, Dante, Jenna and Lucas. Dante and Raenna because I just love their characters. The rest just really shined in this chapter. Marak when he discovered Otis' secret and him telling Noelle she wouldn't be able to do it and he was a great antagonist. I really enjoyed Lucas' dancing on the edge of darkness. I hoped we'd get to see him fully go dark but I don't think that'll be happening now. I love the direction Jenna's going in.
EDIT: ALYSANNE! How could I forget her? She was awesome!
Least favourite characters- Harpy and John. Harpy because I just don't like her and John annoyed me a lot. I still like him though.
Favourite POV's- Edrick because Dante
, Lucas because of the reason above and Jenna. I loved Jenna's part's this chapter! Her and Saerya are great together and I can't wait to see more.
Favourite part and moment- Marak and Terroma's fight, I highly anticipated this moment and it was awesome!
Anything you want to see?- More Dan-- I mean Edrick!
I don't think she's going with them.
Sounds like Leonard is going to be our newest POV next chapter. (Maybe?)
Anyways that was a good read and overall a splendid chapter to stick with. All kinds of battles and fights I'll be looking forward to.
}:)
She can still see the future just in another pov
Liquid did someone betray the guards?
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Hard to say, actually. I really enjoyed reading Kersea and Alysanne interactions together with Argella's with Lucas and Drent. same goes for Raenna and Harrington. Really... lots of characters was my favourite this chapter.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 7?
I guess Clayton for obvious reasons everyone knows about. Otis, for being sick murderer of innoccent kids.
Who were your favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
I think it will be Kersea. Her parts was soaked with emotions - those good and bad ones, which made her parts special to read.
Who were your least favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
Dunno, Edrick I think. Maybe because his PoV appeared quite late and I simply did not get used to him in general.
What has been your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 7?
Whole chapter was full of nice moments and parts in it. Please don't let me choose from all of them. T^T
Is there anything you disliked?
Actually, letting go of Irving was kind of sad.... even if I voted to send him away. I think I regret it now, from this point of view.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 8 or anything else you'd like to say?
More blood, more drama! I see this is coming, judging by the recent events, therefore I am going to enjoy this incoming Chapter alot!
[Help Aldus] I think he needs more help than the others and Arthur can do good for people of Raylansfair this way. Perhaps Mathea will be there to aid him, or he her.
[Kill Noelle] Let's take down the priestess when we have a chance for that. Even if she realized she couldnt be as fanatic as she wanted to I think she still may be the danger when she awakes from the shock of loosing herself and Marak.
As for the finale, it was pretty intense from many different perspectives. I felt that Wolfius will run away, however now I am worried for Mathea which he mentioned he is not planning to kill - however she seem to be in his field of interest, which makes me really intrigued.
I feel sorry for Marak and Terroma, however I am not sure about death of one of them. As we saw, Marak had throat cut, however Terroma was thrown away and fell over the cliff. Perhaps he somehow managed to survive in support of something which was there, below the cliff... this would be a nice twist.
Jaron's part was quite emotional as well, but we all knew what will happen in it, therefore it was the part that made the least effect on me this finale.
Anyway, good job, Liquid.
[Help Aldus]
[Spare Noelle]
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Marak, Kersea and Alysanne. And Wolfius in this last chapter was actually kind of awesome.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 7?
Jaron. He's too much of a goody two shoes for me to like him. And Otis, obviously.
Who were your favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
Marak and Kersea.
Who were your least favourite PoV's in Chapter 7?
Edrick, but it's probably just because I'm not familiar with the cast of characters that appear in his parts.
What has been your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 7?
The fight between Terroma and Marak was epic, and seeing Kersea and Alysanne's friendship develop is definitely another highlight.
Is there anything you disliked?
Nope.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 8 or anything else you'd like to say?
Keep up the good work man, can't wait to see how book 1 wraps up.
I am very, very glad to hear this. It has been a bit of a struggle to finish in time (especially as I noticed that it would be a whole part longer than originally planned), but it seems to have been worth the extra work
Well, he said it over and over again that he has no intention of dying. Wolfius' confidence is partially a result of his insanity, but he also always has some trick up his sleeve. As for the crowd, I fully agree! There are few things less civilized than a crowd that wishes to see blood.
I have looked back to the beginning of the chapter, as I remembered that you even made a poll about the outcome of this fight, once it has first been hinted at. It was this here: http://www.strawpoll.me/10119265/r
Interestingly enough, no one seemed to have predicted that they end up killing each other. This outcome has actually been the result of several earlier choices, most importantly the one that led to Terroma getting wounded in Chapter 6. Without his wound, he would have ended up killing Marak in this part, although he would have received severe wounds that would have ultimately caused his death in a different situation in the next chapter.
Well, right now Mathea is still at the castle, so she's out of Wolfius' immediate wrath. His words not to kill her don't really mean a thing, because Wolfius is not someone to stick to his words, but she has helped him by treating his wounds, so she at least hasn't done a thing to anger him.
By that logic, Marak's death is not entirely confirmed either. It was not his throat that was cut, or otherwise he wouldn't have been able to speak anymore, but it was his neck that got sliced, a wound not unlike the one Sasha received in Samantha's storyline. I can reveal that there will be confirmation on both of their fates in Raenna's next part.
I somewhat agree. While Jaron was always planned to be a part of the chapter finale, I have originally planned not to reveal the fate of the Burned Man in Jaron's penultimate part, but instead to do all of it in this chapter finale. Since I wanted to include the choice on how to kill the Burned Man and wanted to show the aftermath of this decision, I ultimately decided to change it to the current version. But I hope you still enjoyed it
Actually, it is not the longest. The Chapter 6 finale has been a whole part longer and it only included a single PoV. But it is definitely the second longest part I've ever written. And well, thank you very much, I am glad you enjoyed it
So no outcome where Marak lives?
Ah, yes, this is great! The next chapter is probably the one I have put the most planning into. The Ironborn attack on Raylansfair was planned ever since I started to write Chapter 1, so I am definitely hyped as well!
Hm, I can confirm that there will be one new PoV in the next chapter and it will be a character that has already been introduced and established a long time ago. Said new PoV won't have the largest storyline, but it will set up some super huge things that will affect several storylines in Book 2.
Glad to hear it! The next chapter is indeed going to include a lot of fighting. It is the penultimate chapter of Book 1 and will continue the tradition from the show, where the penultimate episode is always the most intense in the entire season.
There would have been a few ways for Marak to survive, but they would have been harder to achieve than Terroma's survival. A certain set of choices could have led to Terroma's death in the labyrinth in Chapter 6. While Raenna would have confronted Noelle and Marak instead, there wouldn't have been a fight and the situation could have gotten resolved peacefully.
Another key choice was opening the hatch, once again. In his confrontation with Otis, Marak received a nasty arm wound and even Noelle's advanced healing wasn't enough to fully cure him in time. This slowed him down in the fight and ultimately caused his death. There was however no outcome in which both of them get to live.
You are right, such a vote would be unlikely, considering how dangerous Clayton is and how many lives he ruined. However, it is not unthinkable under certain conditions. We'll see about that later
I am very happy to see Garthon among these. He certainly didn't have the most exciting storyline in this chapter, basically only serving to set up the situation he will find himself in in the next, but I really like to work with him as a character and he's going to have some pretty exciting things coming up in the next chapter.
I do believe it is always possible to improve. I think I have improved from my first parts, so I don't think I will stay on the same level forever. Hopefully, you will like my writing even more in a year from now.
No, I think Lucas' darkest moments are indeed over, thanks to Argella systematically building up his confidence again in this chapter. That said, while it is unlikely he will become a completely dark character, it is likely we haven't seen the last of Dark Lucas.
I have read your comment on my phone before you edited it and I was like "Wait, did Agent just forgot to include Alysanne?" XD I think I have said it before, but I am honestly happy that you enjoy her so much. When I originally introduced her, she was planned to be far less sympathetic, but ultimately, it has been your positive opinion on her that caused me to think of a way to portray her in a more positive light, which I think ended up as the best for her character.
I knew you'd include John here. I've noticed that he annoyed you quite a bit in this chapter. I hope to change this in the future again
Very, very happy to hear this about Jenna. I wasn't too sure if I'd manage to turn her character around, but I think she's on a good way. There is definitely going to be more of her and Saerya and their team-up in the future!
I think this was a really anticipated moment in general, so I am glad I managed to live up to the expectations
I can promise, there will be. There will be a lot more of them in the future. However, I am afraid to announce that it is likely Edrick won't get any parts in the next chapter, as I wish to concentrate on the Ironborn attacks on Raylansfair and Maybros. The same will apply for Jaron and a couple of other PoV's will likely only have a very short storyline. But that said, the chapter in general won't be very long as a result and Edrick's storyline in Chapter 9 is planned to be among the biggest of the entire chapter to make up for his temporary absence
Hopefully, you will like my writing even more in a year from now.
Well i look forward to it.
Objectively, these would be my least favourites as well. Not even Wolfius is so unsettling for me while writing and I definitely did not regret to kill Otis off in this chapter already. Clayton meanwhile... unfortunately he still has a role to play in the things to come, a very important one.
Very happy to hear it! I know Kersea hasn't been the most well-received PoV for a very long time, but she has always been a special favourite of mine, for her backstory, for the characters she interacts with, for the dark tone of her storyline and especially for the things that will come up for her in the next chapter.
It was a sad scene, yes. But at the same time, it doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. It was the first time Irving actually had to suffer consequences for his actions, so now it might be possible for him to grow as a person.
I do believe you will like it indeed. Blood and drama, those are probably the two words I'd use to describe the next chapter. A lot of build-up will finally pay off
I think you make this assumption because of the fact that Wolfius had the key to his handcuffs, right? In that case, I can not outright reveal if anyone betrayed the guards, but I can reveal that this detail will make a lot more sense soon!