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Post by Jenny on Nov 10, 2023 17:22:33 GMT -5
She smiled, pleased at Cartel's input. Her look grew more serious at Eyan's last. She thought carefully upon it, knitting her brow.
"Yes, rally the troops. I do think it's high time we bring an offensive force against the Illion Empire. Time is of the essence if we are to strike before the situation becomes out of hand."
She just dearly hoped, for one, that they had stayed their hand for too long a time as it was, and that, the war would not draw out too long. She would have peace again, and soon!
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Post by Joe on Nov 11, 2023 9:26:02 GMT -5
Eyan's face took on a grim disposition, though it was clear he did not disapprove. "Very well, your majesty. Orders shall be given out immediately. There is another matter... there is a desire among the people to make pilgrimage and offerings to the dusk well. It would mean allowing many more people into the palace and likely compromise our security greatly. I have read in the past this honor was reserved for special occasions and certain dignitaries. How do you wish to handle it?"
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Post by Jenny on Nov 11, 2023 10:22:25 GMT -5
She looked nervousness at that, but surpressed the old habit of nervous fidgeting. She looked up at Cartel and passed a glance between them.
"I.. am not certain. Did you hear what had transpired this very morning, Lord Eyan? We would need to proceed with this with a great deal of caution. I do not condone it, nor do I embrace it at the present time, due to present circumstances. But if it is the will of the people, that deserves due consideration. Hmm..."
She tapped a finger to the side of her face, her brow knitting.
"Perhaps it would ideal if they were to be searched before gaining entrance? To ensure the well being of the royal court, and of myself."
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Post by Joe on Nov 11, 2023 19:00:08 GMT -5
Eyan nodded, "I did hear, my lady. I do apologize for the failing of the guard. Many are new recruits and not yet accustomed to the stringent requirements of the royal guard. We are doing all within our power to protect you and these kingdoms." He bowed deeply, graciously.
Cartel smiled. "We know you are uncle, we are all doing our best in these new arrangements." He then noticed Klaus in the room and gestured for him to come forward. "Did you need something, my lord?"
Eyan handed off his final scroll and then stood to the side, awaiting a summons, should it come.
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Post by Jenny on Nov 11, 2023 19:08:19 GMT -5
"Ah, yes, m'b- ... my Lord!"
Klaus had almost blundered, but so fond of he of the younger that he almost broke a cardinal rule. That one should retrain on calling Lord Cartel by anything lesser than "Lord," and defenitely not "me boy!" He let out a breath and supressed a chuckle. His warm, green eyes sparkled as he mmet Cartel's own.
He bowed a bit ceremoniously, for the matter was of a deep importance to him.
"Please allow me, my Lord, to accompany you to Dire's End. It is my sincere wish to aid you and yours in any way I can."
Serena smiled down fondly at Lord Klaus.
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Post by Joe on Nov 11, 2023 23:21:59 GMT -5
Cartel hesitated. The knowledge of the Hollands' connection to the shadow was not common knowledge. Telling another, even one as trusted as Klaus, gave him pause.
"Surely, my lord. Your help would be most appreciated. Though I am loathe to give up any measure of protection of the capital, to which I count your presence a boon. There are some aspects of the venture I... cannot disclose as yet, but I beg of your trust. All I can say is that it may be perilous." Cartel bowed his head to the elder knight.
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Post by Jenny on Nov 12, 2023 11:42:25 GMT -5
Klaus was mentally knocked off balance by that. "You think that I would shy away? My Lord, I have wrought plenty o' peril, myself, in my youth." He chuckled, his eyes glinting.
"Lord Eyan will be here with her Ladyship, will he not? As well as Rena, whom I believe to be fully capable of a great deal of protecting, herself. Let this old man have a last hurrah, my Lord."
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Post by Joe on Nov 12, 2023 19:48:37 GMT -5
Cartel chuckled. "I'm sure you have my lord, nor do I think this will be the last chance you have to. I welcome your companionship. We leave on the morrow." He let his eyes drift to Serena, wondering if it made her feel any better.
"Now, if I may, her majesty and I have some things to discuss."
Eyan bowed and swiftly left the room, his matters handled.
Carme nodded to Cartel and stepped outside as well.
When the last had left, Cartel reached from his place next to her to take Serena's hand. "How are you feeling? Do you feel safe here without me?"
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Post by Jenny on Nov 12, 2023 20:56:44 GMT -5
She turned her body towards him and wrapped his own hand in both of hers. She let in and out a shaky breath, her heart a quagmire of worries and doubts.
"I'm worried something will happen to you while you are away and I will not know until word reached at last reached me here, and what if word came far too late and I could do naught to help. I'm so used to opening my eyes in the morning and seeing you there."
She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, and leaned in against him, closing her eyes. "Just please promise me you'll come back to me hale and whole..."
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Post by Joe on Nov 13, 2023 10:03:06 GMT -5
Cartel embraced her back, squeezing her tight. "I will do all within my power to remain so, and return to you." He raised her face to his to kiss her, then smiled. "Promise me you'll keep practicing."
Rising, he looked back to her a last time before passing through the throne room doors. Carme was waiting for him, standing at attention as he entered. Cartel gave her a nod and took a deep breath. "Come, we must prepare."
---
The road to Dire's End was not a safe one. Being in the highlands, the road wound through mountain paths and narrow reaches. Perfect for ambushes and difficult to traverse with carts and wagons. The entourage consisted of Cartel, Carme, Klaus, and a small contingent of soldiers from the Radiant Legion, the armed forces of the Golden Kingdoms. Their trip had been uneventful thus far, but they now began to pass into the Dire Range, the stretch of mountains separating Dire's End and Istarel.
Cold winds whipped around the party as they made their way into a narrow canyon. There was no snow, only frigid dirt and rock. The horses were tired but pressed on, unwilling to rest in the bitter air.
"My lord, I'm afraid I must apologize." Carme suddenly spoke up next to Cartel, her voice slightly muffled by a scarf. "Whatever for?" "I can be brash at times, headstrong, I suppose. I don't let anything get between me and my duty. This can irk some." Cartel chuckled, "Indeed, you seem to have angered several of those close to me." He glanced over his shoulder at Klaus. "Again, I apologize, my lord. Though I know not how I can change." "That's alright, Carme. I find it an admirable trait. It should serve you well in the future, granted you do not anger the wrong person." Cartel gave her a smile, though it faded as his ears detected something wrong.
Cartel held up his fist, signaling the convoy to stop. He listened. The wind had stopped. The pass was as silent as the grave. Cartel looked up, his eyes scanning the ridges of the rocky hills around them. Carme slowly began to draw her sword. There was a rustling, something just out of sight. A branch snapped.
"To arms!" Cartel cried, the air filling with the sounds of ringing metal as weapons were drawn. The ground shook and Cartel looked toward the impact. Several beasts were descending the rocky outcroppings. No, not beasts, something unnatural in the guise of an animal. Some unholy hybrid of a bear and a wolf, astride two legs. Four of them, their eyes burning with verdant light.
Cartel leapt from his horse, sword at the ready. "Save the horses!" Without them, their provisions may not last the journey. One of the soldiers began hastily running about, taking the horses' reigns and leading them away.
"Klaus! To me!" Cartel stood at the front of the host, sword in hand, flanked by Carme.
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Post by Jenny on Nov 13, 2023 12:20:22 GMT -5
She laughed a little, wiping a stray tear away. "That I promise. I'm sure Lord Eyan will be an excellent teacher."
She watched him go, feeling a mix of despair and yearning to follow. But her duty was here, as his was elsewhere. She rose and left the throne room, to seek out the scholars, remembering the handful of parchments upon which she had inked the sigils. Having been quiet and out of sight, Rena emerged and followed her Empress. Serena turned her body sideways as she froze in step, felt more at ease when she saw it was Rena, and gave her a smile.
Eyan was waiting just outside the door for them to emerge. "Safe travels, dear nephew."
Serena found Eyan still waiting. "Please gather the scholars in the royal library. I am in need of their assistance."
Lord Eyan bowed and slipped away to the library, as instructed.
----
Serena sat at a writing desk in the library, where countless books and scrolls of lore, science, history, and so on, were nestled among the shelves all around her, for rows upon rows. She had the drawn sigils before her, and had divided the packets efficiently, and bid the scholars each take a packet of parchments for themselves. Some glanced at the sigils curiously, and then back to Serena.
"These sigils were recently found that have ties to the royal line. Please see if you might find out more about them. They seem to be, at the very least, symbols of power and protection, but they may even have magical properties."
The scholars were delighted, and one spoke. "My Lady, you're saying that these might be magic? This is curious, indeed! Magic hasn't been worked for near centuries. If these were to have magical properties, there is no telling what this might mean. Quite fascinating and compelling, thank you, M'Lady."
Serena's eyes sparkled. "You're very welcome. Please, I would say, at your leisure, but I think research should be performed at all haste. Something inside me tells me, we will need all the help we can get, and soon. We need the knowledge if these may be of aid in the upcoming war, and to whom."
"Yes, M'Lady," one scholar said after another, and set off with an air of giddiness in anticipation at what their findings will be.
---
At night, Rena began to take over duties as Serena's handmaiden, as she was skilled in some domestics. She loosened the stays on Serena's dress, then stepped away just on the other side of the curtain for Her Ladyship to slip into a nightgown. Serena breathed out a long sigh, looking around the bedroom, missing Cartel's presence already.
"Rena," Serena called softly as she eased into the bed. Rena sat in a chair nearby, ready to be of assistance, as what handmaidens were wont to do.
"Will you be staying with me the entire night?"
"Yes, M'Lady, if you may allow me the honor of watching over you."
"But you won't sleep!"
"Nay, M'Lady, at least not until you are nestled on the throne. The court has many eyes and ears, and I may sleep then, and with some peace at the reassuring thought of your safety among such numbers."
"Thank you, Rena."
"It is my honor, and pleasure. I know how much my cousin, Klaus, cares for you dearly, and to ensure his happiness, and the safety of your majesty, I am happy to take on this role."
Serena smiled at her, turned, and her hand fell upon the pillows. She brushed over the empty space on the twin of her own.
"Be safe, Cartel. Please." She whispered. She curled up, and fell asleep, albeit a bit fitfully, for her dreams were not kind to her that evening, and would likely not be peaceful until his return.
---
Klaus had been watching Cartel keenly, and stopped his horse short at his command. He dismounted as swiftly as a stocky man could, drew his broadsword from his back, and postitively growled aggressively in anticipation of a fight. He braced himself for a rough fight when the ground trembled, and he spied several monstrous fiends lumbering down the hill. Ye gods, they were HUGE!
"Yes, Lord Commander!" Klaus bellowed above the terrible din as the animals let out feral, blood-curdling, gutteral roars. Bloody Hells, what a sound! It gave him goosebumps, yet he was not afraid.
As Cartel led the attack, he swung his broadsword towards the closest hunk of monster flesh he spotted, ready to gore it.
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Post by Joe on Nov 14, 2023 12:13:38 GMT -5
The pack of immense beasts descended on the party, swiping and slashing, felling a few of the loyal soldiers right away. Klaus's strike hit true and nearly clove one of the beasts down the middle, sending it to the ground twitching and groaning.
Cartel was locked in a dance with another beast, when it suddenly grabbed him, effortlessly lifting him from the ground. He had no good angle, but still swung at the appendage holding him. He felt it began to squeeze. Its power was immense, and he would be crushed if he was not freed. Carme emerged from behind another beast, her face flecked with blood. With a tremendous shout she swung at the arm of the beast holding her master, hacking again and again, sending fur and blood flying. With a roar the beast dropped Cartel and smacked Carme away with its free hand, sending her into a nearby rock with a crash. With the creature distracted, Cartel leapt onto its back and drove his sword again and again down into the ragged skin of the monster's back, black blood sailing in arcs as the sword came free again and again. With a roar, the creature finally collapsed.
The remaining soldiers had dispatched the final creature, and the canyon grew silent yet again. Cartel jumped from the monster's back and ran to where Carme had fallen. She was already getting back to her feet when he arrived, albeit with a struggle.
"I'm... fine, my lord." Carme gasped out after clearly having the wind struck from her. "Merely... shaken."
Cartel breathed deeply and nodded, looking back to survey the damage. Two soldiers had been torn to shreds. Cartel clenched his eyes shut, a forlorn look shadowing his features. "Damn..." Striding to the fallen, he began to gather their remains. "Carme! Come. We will not leave them here. Let us bury them."
Looking about once more, he sought the merry lord. "Klaus? Are you well?"
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Post by Jenny on Nov 14, 2023 13:10:42 GMT -5
"Aye, m'Lord. None worse for wear," he added cheerfully. But then sobered at the sight of the fallen, wiped his broadsword on the least bloody fur of a beast he could find, sheathed it, and walked over to assist Cartel and those soldiers that were still hale and hole, albeit shaken.
"It's a shame, that they died so young." He looked quite upset. "A third my age and never saw their golden years... good men, they were. A shame..." He said again.
They wrapped the deceased in their saddle blankets, and Klaus helped heft the remains aloft, helping to transport them to the graves that some had dug. They tried to drop the remains respectfully, and gently, but the graves were deep, and it was less graceful that one would intend. Klaus said a prayer over them, in his own words, and helped fill the graves.
He was sweaty, and a bit tired, when he mounted the saddle with the rest of the company. The two horses that had belonged to the soldiers were led by leads attached to another horse, precious resources as they were. Soberly, they started off on the journey once again.
Klaus glanced at Carme at last, and asked after her health.
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Post by Joe on Nov 16, 2023 17:24:58 GMT -5
"Aye, my friend..." Cartel sighed. "Dead because of me. Suppose that is something I must grow accustomed to."
After helping with the burials, Cartel examined the corpses of the beasts. Unnatural black blood seeped from their wounds. The edges of their eyes were blackened and burnt, empty husks where their eyes had been. They stank more than a normal beast, their fur sparse and matted, skin rotten and missing in places.
As the party got back on the road, Cartel began muttering, seemingly to himself. "Those were no product of nature... they look as if risen corpses. I fear it is already aware of our presence..."
Carme looked back to Klaus, a bit surprised. "No worse for wear, my lord, thank you. If I may, your strength of arms is most impressive. I've rarely seen strength such as yours."
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Post by Jenny on Nov 16, 2023 17:39:40 GMT -5
"No, lad. 'Tis for the cause that they died. Don't take the blame on yourself, my Lord." He said, trying to lessen Cartel's melancholy.
Klaus practically bristled in pride. "My thanks, lass. It's a blessing to be born as big as a bear in stature, though it is only fair that one's girth comes along with it."
He was in a better mood from the compliment, and for a time, forgot his woes.
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