81V19yGd

1PROLOGUE
2
3
4Heraldus was sitting, watching his sheep. He liked sheep, sheep were cool. But, truthfully, he was more partial to cows. Ah well, you have to work with what you've got.
5
6His eyes lazily scan the valley below him. There was a mill town on a cold, crystal clear river, made of wood and stone. It didn't have a name, and people rarely passed through, but it was still well known, for the quality of their crops and textiles especially. It was where he grew up, and he had never strayed too far from it. It was the only town he had ever seen. He was born there, and he was going to die there.
7
8He bites into a small cake of bread...well, it was just flour, oil, and honey, baked into that form. It wasn't fancy, and it wasn't particularly nutritious, but he ate it every day and would continue to eat it every day for the forseeable future. He didn't like nor dislike that fact. It was a part of his life. A big but simple breakfast, a loaf at lunch, and something to sate his appetite before bed.
9
10He eventually gets up and picks up his staff. He swings it around wildly for fun, pretending to fight off a giant wolf, but in reality his true enemy was boredom. He...felt unfulfilled. Like he was missing something. He didn't know why, but every second that passed out in those fields made him more and more discontent. It had for years. He was just really good at fighting it off; he had patience.
11
12The sheep watch him fight the air as they chew their grass in lazy confusion. He was such a strange human. He did things like that often. Why did he like to do that? Why not just eat like a sane person?
13
14But there was one in the herd who understood. It was Aurelius, the sheep-ram hybrid raised from birth by Heraldus. His parents wanted to put it out of it's misery, because it was sickly and frail at first, barely able to walk. But Heraldus refused to let them. He took care of it, and stood by it's side during it's suffering.
15
16He went through a lot of pain...but, perhaps because of that, Aurelius was at once the most fierce as well as the most calm member of the herd. When even the alpha ran, he stood and fought. When disaster struck, he did what he needed to. He was loyal and intelligent. The wild hounds knew better than to try to attack when he was awake.
17
18But...there would probably never be another like Aurelius. Because, he was infertile. Heraldus knew this, too, and so he cherished him. Life was short. Maybe his legacy would never leave those plains, but...Aurelius didn't care. After all, he was simply livestock. He would live, he would eat, and then he would die. Heraldus would eat his friend so that he wouldn't go to waste. That was their arrangement. Yes, they agreed on that. Aurelius was insistent on that.
19
20See...Aurelius had another special thing about him. He could speak the language of men as well as sheep. Some say he was posessed by an evil spirit, others say his own spirit was made to be like that of a man's. He simply chose not to speak, though. He was enigmatic, and so he was often discussed by the townsfolk.
21
22"...There is a ma~n approach~ing. From the direction the wind blows from. A smell of old blood, steel, and...stomach juices." Aurelius explains, slowly and deeply.
23
24Heraldus licks his finger and holds it up to the air. Northwest to southeast. So, behind and to the west of him. He plants the butt of his staff into the ground, watching the bushes at the foot of the hill, leading into the forest.
25
26Out stumbles a sickly looking warrior, covered in scars and using a nicked and worn zweihander as a two handed walking stick. He seemed barely concious, and was pale. Heraldus wonders at the back of his mind if he's an undead as he moves to help him. As soon as the man sees him take the first step, he has a look of relief on his face and falls over.
27
28CHAPTER 1
29
30~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
31
32
33"It's a good thing you found him when you did. A minute later, and he'd have likely died." The seeress explains, wiping the forehead of the unconcious mercenary with a wet rag. He was layed out on a stone table, breathing heavily in his fevered state. Heraldus watches nervously, concerned for the man's life; he seemed to be in much pain. The seeress notices his worry out of the corner of her eye, and turns to smile at him. "...Are you afraid, young Heraldus?"
34
35"Yes, I don't know if he'll make it." Heraldus fidgets nervously, avoiding eye contact with her. He didn't like her eyes. They scared him, made him feel...like he was completely naked, like he had some glaring vulnerability.
36
37"If you knew whether he would make it...would you feel less afraid?"
38
39"To be honest? Yes."
40
41"Then, I will not tell you." She turns to crush some herbs into mush with a mortar and pestle, smirking with a glint of mischief in her eyes.
42
43"Hey! That isn't fair! You know and you won't tell me?!"
44
45"Hmm? When have I ever said that I did know?"
46
47"You-...You're a seer! If anyone would know, it'd be you!"
48
49"If."
50
51"So you don't know?"
52
53"Never said that I didn't either."
54
55"Are you just teasing me now? Or is there something that I'm missing here?"
56
57"Am I? Are you?" She tilts a small bowl of medicine to the man's lips, gently draining the small amount of liquid into his mouth.
58
59"I'm not a seer like you, you know. You're being cryptic again."
60
61"...Do you understand what a seer truly is, Heraldus?"
62
63"Yeah, you can see everything, right? Even with your eyes closed?"
64
65"That's what a seer DOES. Not what it IS. A seer is simply one who sees. Though, it is true that I can see the future, and it is true that I can see my surroundings, do you know that I rarely ever use those talents?"
66
67"But don't you give people advice about the future all the time?"
68
69"That is correct. Do you want to know where I find those answers, if not in the future, and if not in my surroundings?"
70
71"Yes."
72
73"Inside of myself. I simply say what I know."
74
75"If that's the case, then it seems like anyone that comes to you for relationship advice is going to the wrong place." Heraldus jokes.
76
77"How mean. You wound me, Heraldus." She cracks a smile. "But, even despite that, I'll teach you a trick. Look into my eyes. What do you see? Do not avert your eyes, Heraldus."
78
79"I see...Your eyes? " His cheeks were beginning to flush.
80
81"And therein lies your problem. You are so distracted by what's in front of you that you neglect yourself. Look again, and see yourself reflected back at you."
82
83"...Oh."
84
85"By the way, I've seen myself reflected in you many times, when my back was turned to you. Would you care to explain?" She bares her teeth in a grin.
86
87"I have sheep to watch." Heraldus replies quickly, practically running out of the temple. The seeress chuckles and returns to her work. She was a descendant of the Giants to the far north, a pale woman covered in black tattoos, frosty white hair, and violet eyes. Nobody knows how old she is, but according to the stories and rumors, she can be anywhere from twenty years old to five hundred; there were supposedly many women like her in that province, but she is the only one that they can actually find. She served as a teacher and confidant to Heraldus since his birth seventeen years ago. Needless to say, he was smitten, though he refused to admit that, even to himself.
88
89Heraldus realizes, as he feeds his flock from a bag of oats, that he still never found out if the man would survive. But, then he thought back to when he met the man...How the man was fighting to survive, even with such severe poison coursing through his veins, and of the relief on the man's face when he saw Heraldus. He remembered the man's scars, too. He had seen many battles, or maybe it was one particularly bad one. His sword was worn down from constant use, too...The man was a struggler. And it seemed like he had succeeded in his struggle so far. He decided that, instead of worrying about the man, he would cheer him on in spirit, or at least honor him in his actions.
90
91Why did the man choose such a dangerous way to live, anyways? Was it out of necessity? Was it because he was good at it, or did he get good at it because of necessity? Did he just like that lifestyle? ...No, he wouldn't find any answers like that, even if it's just in speculation. Heraldus decides to approach this from his own point of view, remembering what the seer said. What would make him, Heraldus, want to become a mercenary?
92
93Danger. Excitement. The feeling of strength. Adrenaline rush. Because, it was cool to him. If he became one, it would probably mainly be to feel like a badass and earn money doing so. Otherwise, there's plenty of other options if he was ONLY in it for money. Thinking about it that way, he suddenly went from confused to a bit eager. He...kind of wanted to try that. To become a mercenary. But...the sheep...
94
95"What troubles you, Heraldus?" Aurelius nudges his knee with his horn.
96
97"...I kind of want to become a mercenary now. It seems cool. Oh, or maybe even a knight! Or a king! ...But, when I think about what I would have to leave behind..."
98
99"It's simple, then. To hell with what you have to leave behind. You have a goal. Pursue that goal, and don't let anything get in your way."
100
101"But you and the sheep..."
102
103"For one, I am coming with you if you go. But as for the others, you have two perfectly healthy parents, as well as your younger brother Nero to fill in for you. Worst case scenario, the others are left to graze and run wild, or eaten. Do not make excuses."
104
105"But how would I begin?"
106
107"By beginning. Take the first step, whatever it may be...no, perhaps that is...too vague for you. That man earlier. Speak to him when he recovers.
108
109"So, I'm really doing this?"
110
111"Yes. I was getting tired of watching you squander your potential watching sheep anyway, as good at it as you are. We will make it an adventure. And when your adventure is done, we will return home."
112
113"...Okay. I don't know how I'm gonna ask mother and father..."
114
115"Ask? You simply tell them that you are leaving. And then, you leave."
116
117"What if they're mad?"
118
119"What if? Will some yelling and maybe a whipping kill you? Perhaps the latter, but they are not that sort of people. In fact, this is an important lesson. Right now, fear is shackling you down. And the irony of it? The shackles are so rusted that the slightest jerk away from them will destroy them. But you tell yourself, I am shackled. And so, you do not act. That is defeatism, and defeatism is your enemy. What should a mercenary do to his enemies?"
120
121"Beat them?"
122
123"No. You kill them. You destroy them. You crush them beyond a shadow of a doubt, without any hesitation, because, if you hesitate, you WILL die."
124
125"That...I'm not so sure that I want to do this after all."
126
127"Well, make up your mind here and now. I will not let you move from this spot until you have."
128
129"..." Heraldus stares thoughtfully at the floor. He then raises his eyes to the rising moon. "I'll do it." He says eventually.
130
131"And why will you do it?"
132
133"I don't know. All I know is that I will."
134
135"That will suffice." Aurelius harrumphs in approval, stepping aside.
136
137"Oh, I remember you! The boy with the weird ram! Thanks for carrying me all this way, I appreciate it." The mercenary sits up on the stone bed. The seeress had left the room to give them privacy to talk, with the excuse that she was going to pick some herbs to speed up the man's recovery.
138
139"You're welcome. I was honestly sort of afraid that you were going to die, to be honest."
140
141"...You were afraid...for me? Why? Do you know me from somewhere?"
142
143"No, I just don't like to see other people suffer. I'd also have felt bad if you died because I didn't run here quick enough."
144
145"Hold on, you RAN here?"
146
147"Yeah, I lifted you on my shoulder and ran here, why?"
148
149"...What are they feeding the children these days...You do realize that you carried a fully grown man, running, for more than a mile? And yes, I went to the spot where I passed out. The seer lady showed me."
150
151"I don't really see what the big deal is."
152
153"The big deal is that you've done something that I haven't even seen many other soldiers do. How'd you get so strong?"
154
155"I don't know, maybe it's carrying the sheep around for so many years whenever they can't move or refuse to move."
156
157"Huh, normally when they refuse, where I'm from, we just make the dogs bark at them."
158
159"Oh, I don't have a dog."
160
161"So how do you protect them from predators then?"
162
163"I yell really loud and run at the predators. If they fight back I smack them in the head a bunch. And Aurelius, the ram, helps me out too when I have to fight."
164
165"Isn't it scary for someone so young to fight wild animals like that, though?"
166
167"Not really, I used to watch my father do it when I was younger, and he was really good at fighting them. So I just did what he showed me and it stopped being scary really quickly."
168
169"...I see. So, have you ever considered doing anything other than shepherding?"
170
171"Actually, that ties into why I came to see you. I wanted to ask you about what I would have to do to become a mercenary. And to be a good one."
172
173"Ah. Kid, what's your name?"
174
175"Heraldus Viridius, sir."
176
177"You don't have to call me sir. My name is Caius. Call me that. But, Heraldus, you said that you didn't like to to see other people suffer. So why choose a job like being a mercenary, where you're going to be around a lot of suffering people, and maybe even cause it?"
178
179"Because I want to be a mercenary more than I dislike causing people to suffer."
180
181"And what if you find that it isn't so glamorous as you probably think it is? Will you desert?"
182
183"That would be like leaving my flock to die, wouldn't it?"
184
185"...Huh. You know, you're going to have to kill."
186
187"I'm prepared for that."
188
189"And you might die."
190
191"I'm also prepared for that. I don't owe anyone money or anything."
192
193"Out of curiosity, what do you think happens after death?"
194
195"Don't I just sleep in the land of death or something?"
196
197"Normally, yes. But I think you'll be fine. I had to vet you out for a bit, but remember, once you're on the battlefield, there's no turning back. So if you want to leave, you'd better damn well survive your first battle. I'll take you under my wing. But I won't die for you or anything. It's every man for themself. The most I can do is watch your back."
198
199"That's plenty, thanks. So, what do I do now?"
200
201"When I recover fully, we leave town. I should be good to go in another three days. Bring whatever money or valuables you have saved, because that'll determine the quality of your gear. Can't afford to be a miser when it comes to this kind of thing; armor is expensive, yeah, but a life is priceless. Have you ever held a sword?"
202
203"No."
204
205"Have you ever swung a stick?"
206
207"Yes."
208
209"Alright, imagine a stick with sharp sides and a pointy end. Hit the enemy with it. That's how it works. I'll teach you actual stuff later, but right now, I believe I'm going to pass out."
210
211"Oh-"
212
213CHAPTER 2
214
215~~~~~~~~~~~~
216
217
218Heraldus was laying in his hammock in his room up in the attic when he heard some talking from downstairs. It was his mother and...the seeress. The father could be heard pitching in here and there too. Oh no, did she know? Was she going to tell them...?
219
220"Heraldus, get down here this instant! And make sure you're decent!" His mother eventually calls up to him, rather aggressively too.
221
222"COMING, MA!" He shouts down. When she told him to make himself decent, it normally meant, get dressed up, this is important. So, he put on his coat and muffler, as well as his good boots. He was already wearing a sweater and some breeches with a colorful sash, so he was fine in that regard.
223
224Downstairs, his father was smiling wide, while his mother had an intense look on her face as she stares up at him silently for a moment. She was a slightly heavyset redheaded woman, and his father was tall and grim looking man with dark brown hair, complete with stubble. Ironically, he was the carefree one. The seeress stood, all dressed up in her ceremonial robes, complete with the veil that accompanied it.
225
226"...Heraldus, what did you do to Miss Gwyneth?"
227
228"I didn't do anything...?" He tilts his head, confused and full of dread.
229
230"Well then, what's this talk about her asking for my blessing?"
231
232"Your blessing? I'm completely lost here."
233
234"Aren't you always? I'm talking about marriage, you dolt."
235
236"I'm sorry, what? Is this some sort of trick? Where's the punchline?" Heraldus was in utter disbelief.
237
238"...No, Heraldus, this is no trickery. I feel that it is the right time to ask this of you. You see, you're getting around that age, where you begin to see women differently...but you refuse to look at them. You only look at me. And I suppose it is partially my fault for never telling you to stop, but I believe that this is a good outcome for you, as opposed to the path you were going to walk."
239
240"The...path I was going to walk?" He asks nervously.
241
242"Remember, other people are a mirror to the self. If I were you, I would make the same decisions that you have today. Well...That, and...I couldn't help but overhear you and Aurelius."
243
244"But the field was empty..."
245
246Gwyneth grins, but says nothing.
247
248"And...whatever did she overhear, Heraldus?" His mother folds her arms, glaring at him.
249
250"...I'm going to become a mercenary."
251
252"The hell you are! Whatever gave you that idea?"
253
254"Ma. I've been feeling like I was...wasting my potential for a while now, watching sheep. Don't get me wrong, I love the sheep, and I love taking care of them, but...I feel like I can do much more. I have strength. I could be really good at it."
255
256"At taking lives?! Is that a good thing to be good at?!"
257
258"...Heraldus has a point, Trish. The boy really is talented. He's a good leader, and he's strong. Remember when we used to catch him leading the sheep to do drills? Or that time he took down that young lion? As much as I fear for his safety...I think this could be good for him. That, and it'll show him how harsh the real world really is."
259
260"That's exactly what we were trying to protect him from, though! Heraldus is a good child! He's going out there to die, or to kill other mothers' children!"
261
262"They chose that path, just like he did." His father explains, folding his arms and leaning against the wall. "But...out there in that wide world...all those questions I couldn't answer for him...He can find an answer to. But, now that he wants to leave, holding him back would only make things worse. Just let him get it out of his system."
263
264"But...this is my child...my firstborn son, the one I carried for almost a year! The one I nursed when he didn't even have the strength to feed himself! I raised him! And now everyone wants to take him from me!"
265
266"...Heraldus isn't a child anymore. He may be our child, but he's a young man. He doesn't belong to anyone. It wouldn't be fair to him to keep him here if he wants to go. And it's not like he's leaving forever, right son?"
267
268"Right, I'd still visit, and if it doesn't work out, I'll come back here." Heraldus felt a little guilty now.
269
270"...I can't convince you to at least stay here in town with me?" Gwyneth asks, slightly bummed out.
271
272"..." Heraldus went deep into thought about this. "No." He says eventually, having steeled his soul. "I need to do this. Besides, you deserve someone better. You don't have to do all of that for me."
273
274"I know that I don't have to, I'm doing this because I want to! Heraldus..." She was exasperated. Her facade of calmness was broken, and tears were rolling down her face. She didn't want to see him get hurt.
275
276"...No. Excuse me. I have to go and clear my head." He sighs, making his way out of the door.
277
278"This son of mine..." Trish shakes her head sadly. But his father couldn't help but be proud. His son had made an important life decision, all on his own.
279
280"...Heraldus, are you decent?" Trish asks, approaching his usual thinking spot in the woods. It was a clear pond surrounded by willows, and in the night, the moon shone beautifully off of it.
281
282"What, you're not charging in to embarass me like you usually do?" He looks over from the tree he was leaning against.
283
284"I'm...sorry about those times. I refused to believe you would ever grow up. While it's true it's nothing I haven't seen before, it'd be slightly strange if I kept ambushing you like that after acknowledging you as a man."
285
286"You're making this very uncomfortable."
287
288"Have you been cleaning it properly by the way? Pulling it back and-" She had mischief in her eyes.
289
290"You came here for a reason, right?" Heraldus stops her with an extended hand and a grimace.
291
292"...Right. I came here to say...whatever you choose, I'll do my best to support you. Oh, and also, if I find out that Miss Gwyneth is pregnant and you're running away or something scandalous like that, I don't care if you're a man or a child or the Emperor himself, I'm dragging you home and taking the cane to your behind."
293
294"You don't have to worry about that." Heraldus kept a gravely blank face. The slightest flicker might send the wrong message. He was being genuine.
295
296"So...do you like Miss Gwyneth?" She asks after a time.
297
298"I think she's a wonderful person."
299
300"That isn't what I'm asking you, and you know it."
301
302"...I don't know. I knew her from the beginning. I definitely care about her, and I like being around her, and I wouldn't mind being around her for the rest of my life, but I don't know."
303
304"I mean, seems like you like her to me... And what was that about her deserving someone better? I never raised you to be such a defeatist."
305
306"It's not defeatism, it's the objective truth. I don't really have much going for me other than physical strength. She needs more than that. I don't know how long she was alone, but it seems like it was a very long time. It wouldn't be fair if her payoff was just some dumb shepherd kid. What she needs is a hero or something."
307
308"Ah, so is this what that mercenary business is about?"
309
310"No, I'm probably the least suited to become a hero. I'm kind of a dumba-...a silly boy." He corrects his language.
311
312"But you don't need smarts to become a hero." She nods approvingly at this display.
313
314"You're not even going to deny it?!"
315
316"Rote learning and books smarts have never been your strong points, Heraldus. That's okay. You have other strengths. Use those."
317
318"...Alright Ma. Then, if I return and she's still single-"
319
320"WHEN. When you return and she's still single."
321
322"...What? I can't make a guarantee that I will return." "Then, you can't go. Promise me now that you'll come back."
323
324"...I promise."
325
326"Through hell and highwater?"
327
328"Through hell and highwater."
329
330"Swallow a thousand needles if you die?"
331
332"Ma, I'd already be dead."
333
334"See? You aren't as silly as you think. Now, I'm going to leave you to have your privacy. If you want, I can bring her here for you. It's a very romantic place, actually. You might get lucky. The grandchildren would be beautiful."
335
336"Please just go." Heraldus groans, but he couldn't help but crack a smile.
337
338CHAPTER 3
339
340~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
341
342
343"Said your goodbyes, Heraldus?" The mercenary asks, smiling.
344
345"Yes. Let's just get moving before I get homesick." Heraldus sighs.
346
347"Now is your chance to turn back, you know. You don't have to do this. You can just stay a shepherd, if that's what you want."
348
349"...No, I have to do this. I feel like...there's nothing left for me, in those fields. I've seen it all. I've done it all. The sheep will be fine. I feel like...Like I'm not who I could be. But I don't know who that is. I have to find the answers, and I won't find them sitting on a rock all day."
350
351"I see. Well, I don't have the answers that you seek, but I can show you how I at least found mine, bit by bit. The first step is always the hardest, but after that, just keep moving. We're off." He wraps his cloak tighter around himself, re-pinning it, and checking his gear. Heraldus watches this and follows suit.
352
353The air tasted of earth and vapor, with a slight metallic tinge to it. It was raining heavily, as if to mourn Heraldus' departure. The sky was dark, and the sun was completely obscured behind the clouds. Mixed in the raindrops was a saltier drop than the rest...and then, they began to trudge through the wet grass and soil, sloshing and squelching.
354
355Heraldus' mother had taken the liberty of going around and getting family friends to help pitch in so that he could have a bit more spending money; he saved any money he got, it was true, but he didn't really get any money often. Despite Heraldus' pleas that she return the money to their original owners, she would not let him leave without it.
356
357Gwyneth had given him a peck on the cheek and a brooch engraved with what she said were runes of protection and guidance. When he asked her what she meant, she did not elaborate, instead answering that 'he would understand when the time came to understand'. So, it was his most valued posession.
358
359Aurelius basks in the rain, deep in thought, matching Heraldus' pace. He had nothing to say, so he did not say anything. He simply took in his surroundings and appreciated what he could from them. But, deep in his heart, there was a blazing pride towards his master.
360
361After a full day of travelling southeast, they stop to make camp. The raining had slowed to a drizzle, but a storm could be heard approaching.
362
363"...Looks like with this weather, we'll have to manage without a fire...all of this wood is too damp." Caius strokes his beard thoughtfully, surveying the nearby trees.
364
365"Maybe on the outside." Heraldus agrees, pulling out his curved hunting dagger and beginning to strike diagonally inwards at a nearby tree, peeling down the now-pliable bark. He feels the inside with his fingers. "Ah, this one is dry enough on the inside, at least. I might have some lint in my pocket we can use for kindling..."
366
367"Well I'll be...I guess my city upbringing's showin' itself again." He laughs. "I never would've thought to peel the bark like that."
368
369"It's a trick that father showed me." Heraldus nods, smiling proudly. He liked to feel useful.
370
371After a few minutes of work, he was able to get a fire going in a pit, and he used the small fire and the smoke to dry some leaves to help make it bigger. From there, he went about obtaining useable firewood from the trees. With some effort, by the end of the hour he had enough to last them well into the night. They sit around the fire, with Aurelius in bliss from the heat.
372
373"Alright, this silence is killing me. How do you put up with this?" Caius sighs.
374
375"You get used to it." Heraldus shrugs.
376
377"Maybe you." Caius chuckles. "Me, I'm more at home talking people to death. So let's talk swordplay for a bit here. Even though you've never held a sword, do you know anything about how to use one in a fight? Against other humans? Hell, have you ever even fought another human?"
378
379"Yeah, I got into a few brawls growing up, but they were fistfights. I'd say I'm decent at that, though a few times I really got my as-...my behind handed to me. As for what I know about swordplay...you told me, pick up a stick, imagine it has an edge and a pointy end, and hit the enemy with it. That's about as much as I know."
380
381"You're a mercenary now, man. You can say ass."
382
383"Huh? I thought I did?"
384
385"Ah, did that without thinkin', did ya?"
386
387"Happens sometimes, yeah."
388
389"Anyways, seems like I've got my work cut out for me. But the good news is, you've got potential. What kind of sword do you picture yourself using?"
390
391"Hmm...A really big one, that could cut a house in half!"
392
393"Err...Yeah, no. You know how heavy that thing would be?"
394
395"I thought swords were light, though?"
396
397"They are, but they're still made of steel, man! They have mass! Steel ain't exactly feathers, you know."
398
399"Mass...like, massive? They're big? All of them?"
400
401"...Have you had an education?"
402
403"Somewhat. I worked hard in school, but was always the bottom of my class. Eventually I stopped caring."
404
405"I see...But...how are you so smart, then?"
406
407"I'm not smart."
408
409"The hell you aren't! So how do you know all the stuff you do, then? Cause you sure as hell don't TALK like you're dumb."
410
411"Father showed me. Also, so did Miss Gwyneth. The seeress."
412
413"...And how did they teach you in school?"
414
415"From the book?"
416
417"Ahh, I see the problem now. You ain't a bookish type, are ya?"
418
419"I mean, I've read books. I like to read sometimes, but I prefer to do things. You know, with my hands."
420
421"So you HAVE read, at least...Well, that's good. Knowin' how to read'll take ya far. But I think I got an idea of how to teach ya. Meanin', talkin about it prolly won't do ya any good, will it?"
422
423"Not likely, no. I mean, I can remember what you say, but...sometimes I need someone to show me what they mean. Like, with their hands."
424
425"Alrighty then. And as for what size sword I'll teach ya...might as well teach the lot of em'. At least, what I know. Cause swords break, and sometimes you just gotta use whatever you find.
426
427"They...break? But I thought they were made of steel!"
428
429"Nothin' is unbreakable. You'd do well to remember that. Might save yer life."
430
431"Now ain't the time to start missin yer nan! Again!" Caius smacks Heraldus on the side of his head with a stick, after the boy's eyes glazed over and his mind went completely absent.
432
433"Oh, sorry, was wondering how everyone was doing." He seems mostly unfazed after the initial impact despite developing a bruise, moving to take the stance that Caius had showed him. It was a middle stance.
434
435"Least ya can take a hit! Ye'll be takin' plenty if you keep that up! Focus on the here and now! Attack!"
436
437Heraldus nods and rushes forward, swinging at the man. His form had improved, but he was still overswinging without realizing it. It was the one thing holding him back...because he didn't know how to recover quickly from a mistake like that. He got parried and smacked on the back.
438
439"Again! And if yer' gonna be overswingin' like that, at least keep yer guard up!"
440
441"I did it again?!" Heraldus' jaw hangs in disbelief.
442
443"It's a tough habit to break. But once ye break that, ye'll at least be on par with the average squire. Done good so far. Your stances are on point, and your strikes have impact. But ya don't flow well enough; ya come crashin' down like a rock on their head. While that works against animals, humans will exploit that, and that means death! We ain't movin' till you can strike me ten times!"
444
445"But you're much better at this than I am...how am I supposed to do that...?"
446
447"Yer a mercenary. Make it work, because the other side ain't always gonna be sendin' their weakest at you, and they ain't always gonna fight fair. But...neither do you. I ain't trying to turn you into one of those posh fencers up in their stuffy schools...no, I'm trainin ya to become a WARRIOR. And part of that? Winnin' by whatever means necessary, even if ya gotta face the consequences later."
448
449"So I don't have to use these stances?"
450
451"No, they're just useful skills to have. Now come at me again. This time, like ya mean it." He raises his guard to a middle guard.
452
453Heraldus nods and dashes at him with his shoulder, stick trailing behind him. After shoulder bashing the shocked mercenary, he begins to rain blows down on him left and right...but Caius pushes him back with a counterattack after the sixth blow.
454
455"Now THAT is how it's done! I'm gonna get serious now! Let's go!" Caius begins to charge him head on, and so Heraldus drops into a low stance and jabs him in the stomach, following up with a strike to the neck that doesn't connect due to getting caught in a last-second bind. It was now a contest of strength...And that was when it clicked for Heraldus. It was just like being tackled by a wild animal...you don't face those by charging at them. You strike at where they're weakest, and control their zone, limiting their options. Heraldus makes sure to maintain the bind for a moment, but he then weaves through Caius' guard and slashes at his side, connecting with a meaty THUD. Caius winces, and attempts to swing at Heraldus, but has his arm grabbed. Heraldus sweeps his legs from out under him, throwing him to the ground and smacking him three more times with the stick. That made ten. "Err... you got lucky! Let's try that again!" Caius hops to his feet, slightly exasperated.
456
457"Alright." Heraldus hops back and enters a middle stance. He remembered what Caius taught him so far. Calm your breathing. Flow with your wrists, and let your arms follow. Don't choke up on the grip, or you'll lose maneuverability. Knees slightly bent, remember the footwork... and as soon as he saw an opening in Caius' guard, he pounced. This resulted in them getting stuck in another bind, but Heraldus grips the 'blade' and maneuvers it under his guard, slashing across his stomach.
458
459"Wait. Stop. I didn't teach you that one yet..." Caius was dumbfounded. "So how'd you know to do that?"
460
461"Well, when I'm fighting wolves and big cats, I don't always have time to pull out my club, so I have to buy time by shoving the stick sideways to the back of their jaws. The teeth normally curve backwards, so it get's stuck. I figured I'd try that here."
462
463"But what if you got cut doing that with an actual sword?"
464
465"I'd rather get a cut on my hand than have my head cut off. It's no big deal."
466
467"...To think that I'd get my ass handed to me by someone who never held a sword before..."
468
469"It's because you're such a good teacher." Heraldus smiles.
470
471"You don't gotta lie to make me feel better." Caius groans.
472
473"I wasn't lying, I really didn't know a single thing until you showed me. In fact, remember when we started this morning? You smacked every inch of me."
474
475"Still, in a day? That's kind of a dramatic change."
476
477"I mean, it's not that different from fighting animals. Only real difference is, these ones stand on two legs and also have weapons. But I have to try really hard to remember everything you taught me, so I need to practice a lot until I have it down."
478
479"...You're right. I shouldn't be bummed out...I should be proud! I have such a powerful student, and I'd never even taught before! And it just means I have to work harder so that I can have more to teach you."
480
481"Yeah, you have more experience than me, so chances are I just got lucky. Hey, how do you do that spinny thing before you strike?"
482
483"Oh, this little flourish?" He spins the stick between his fingers and strikes at Heraldus, who blocks it with his forearm instinctively. "Good, you haven't let my praise get to your head. But it's really not quite so difficult."
484
485"No, I think it is. Watch." Heraldus attempts to mimic him but ends up getting the stick stuck in between his fingers and cramping up. He had to pry it free with the other hand. He tries again, but drops the stick. He was about to try again, but Caius raises his hand to signal him to stop and gives him a sympathetic look.
486
487"I...understand. So please, don't try that again, it's sad to watch. You hold it like so..."
488
489Heraldus and Caius arrive at the city of Drachenheim after a month of travelling, a city of stone and large winding streets going up what used to be a mountain to what is now a fortress for the Royal Knights. It started as a trading post with a canal to help with logistics, as it was in a key location for defending the western borders, and generations later, it was now a cultural melting pot, a trade hotspot, and basically the secondary capital. It got it's name from the dragon which once lived inside of the mountain, slain by the knight Joachim in order to establish a foothold in the area.
490
491Many races of humans and inhumans alike roamed the streets; Tieflings, Goliaths, Satyrs, Orcs, Minotaurs, Halflings...there were even a few Elves roaming around, though those ones mainly stayed out of sight due to the way they tended to be treated. Many cover their ears with their hair or hats, but some of the prouder ones walk with their heads held high and their ears sticking out and adorned. It helped that the guards were armed with poleaxes and longswords, and were allowed to use force if things got out of hand. Executions were a common occurence in Drachenheim, with some more ceremonial than others. They wore their grey and red surcoats with authority, and they wore them well.
492
493Heraldus walked in awe at the sights he was seeing; people in such colorful clothes, all the shops, the massive size of the city, how big the stone buildings were, all these exotic races he had never even heard of...He didn't know where to begin. So he stuck close to Caius, who was so used to the place that he didn't even need to stop to think about where he was going. Though, maybe that was because the first place they were stopping at was the tavern near the entrance. Heraldus had spent time in the taverns back home, but he didn't expect this one to be so lively. Singing and dancing, bards playing up on the stage, and women propositioning them left and right, though Heraldus was completely lost as to what they were suggesting, so he awkwardly smiled, nodded, and moved on. They looked at their drinks confusedly as a Aurelius walks behind him nonchalantly, with not a care in the world given.
494
495Caius makes his way to a section full of people dressed similarly to him; in the black and green colors bearing a golden ram insisde of a shield as their emblem, the same as Caius. They stare at him in surprise as he walks in, a massive grin on his face. Men and women alike from many different species made up the group that was the
496
497"Hey, missed me?"
498
499"Well I'll be... I didn't know you had a son, Caius!" A jolly drunk man with a grey beard and a bald head laughs. He was a man-at-arms adorned in many awards and honors, and wore a ripped doublet.
500
501"What? No, that's not...look, I got held up by some bandits. They did me in real good. Had basilisk venom. This guy here got me to safety. He wants to join us."
502
503"And what about the...goat? Is he trying to join too?" The man laughs.
504
505"I am the boy's assistant." Aurelius says calmly. "Where he goes, I go."
506
507"Wait, did it just talk?!" The man's mouth hangs open, sending a torrent of beer pouring down onto his shirt. The other nearby mercenaries also saw it, in various stages of disbelief.
508
509"In this world of magic and terror, a talking farm animal is what surprises you?" Aurelius stares at him, confused.
510
511"It's always a cat, or an owl or something! A whole goat is unheard of!"
512
513"As opposed to half of a goat?"
514
515The captain thinks on this for a moment before erupting into laughter. "I don't care if it's the drink or not, I like this one. As for...You, what's your name?"
516
517"Heraldus Viridius."
518
519"Heraldus, what were you doing before you joined us?"
520
521"I was a shepherd, sir."
522
523"A shepherd you say...well, you understand that we kill people for money, right? We're a mercenary outfit. Things won't be as easy as watching sheep."
524
525"I understand, and I knew that from the start."
526
527"Well then, what made you want to become a mercenary?"
528
529"I feel like...the answers that I'm looking for are out there on the battlefield. That, and I think that swords are cool."
530
531"Oh. Looks like he'll fit right in; we've got some pansies among the recruits, maybe they can learn from him. So, Heraldus, are you some kind of magician? Is that goat your familiar?"
532
533"His name is Aurelius, and...I'm not sure what you mean by familiar. I'm familiar with him, if that's what you mean. I raised him from he was a calf."
534
535"...So he isn't magic or anything?"
536
537"I dunno, he talks sometimes, but people can talk too, so I figured, he figured it out, yeah?"
538
539"I...I see. Aurelius, was it? Are you magical?"
540
541"...It depends on your definition of magic, I suppose." He says vaguely.
542
543"Magic is like...shootin' fireballs and the like."
544
545"Oh, in that case, I'm not magic in the slightest."
546
547"Uh...huh..." The captain eyes him uneasily.
548
549"At least, I don't think. I never tried before."
550
551"Err...If you're going to try that, I'd rather you face the enemy when you do that. Just in case."
552
553"Aye aye." Aurelius chuckles darkly.
554
555"Right. Well, that aside, I guess what we'll do is gear you up and let you socialize with the others for a bit. So, since you brought him here, you handle that, Caius. And make sure he doesn't get lost or anything. Also, keep him far away from the red veil district. That's...putting a bull in a shop full of glass. No matter what, it wouldn't work out well."
556
557"Huh? Red veil district?" Heraldus asks, blissfully ignorant.
558
559"...Looks like you have your work cut out for you, Caius. Well, scurry along now. I've got drinking to do!"
560
561"Hey, Heraldus, have you ever considered getting a haircut?" Caius looks to see if they were still being tailed from the alley.
562
563"What would be the point of that, if it's just going to grow back anyways?"
564
565"Well, for one, you'd stand out less. Alright, I think we lost her."
566
567"Why did we run from her anyways?"
568
569"Uh, because she started chasing us?"
570
571"But don't you have to run for someone to give chase...?"
572
573"Now isn't the time to get smart with me."
574
575"What, would you rather I be dumb instead?"
576
577"Heraldus." He shakes his head disapprovingly. "Look, I know her, alright? She's dangerous. Don't let her catch you alone."
578
579"Is she some kind of killer or something?"
580
581"No, she's a maneater."
582
583"That's terrible...how many people did she devour?"
584
585"Probably half the town at this point." Caius snickers.
586
587"...Shouldn't someone put a stop to her, then? Why don't you tell the guards?"
588
589"Let's just say, she has them under her spell too- Heraldus, where are you going?"
590
591"I mean, if she eats people, I have to put a stop to her. Before someone gets hurt."
592
593"Heraldus! I wasn't being serious! She didn't actually eat them! That's just what we call women who like to play with men's hearts around here."
594
595"It's a fitting title though, I must admit." A suave female voice calls out from behind.
596
597"AH!" Caius jumps.
598
599"You're so mean, you know! I just wanted you to introduce me to your friend here. You didn't have to run like you saw a ghost." She pouts sarcastically. Heraldus turns to see her; a seven foot tall, sun scorched woman dressed in a mixture of tribal and regular clothing, jingle-jangling with jewelry and decorated in tattoos. Up close, she was even more stunning than she was from a distance.
600
601"I saw something worse than a ghost. I saw you. I'm not gonna let you hurt him the way you hurt everyone else, you know!"
602
603"What, is he your boyfriend or something?"
604
605"No, I'm his underling. Heraldus. How would that work, anyways? We're both male. I...think...?" His eyes drift down towards Caius' crotch.
606
607"Yes, Heraldus, I am a male." Caius sighs.
608
609"Oh, how cute! Why don't I take you on a tour around the city? I can show you some WONDERFUL things." The woman winks.
610
611"As curious as I am, I've gotta go with Caius. I have to make sure I've got decent equipment." Heraldus stretches his neck. There was a loud crunch. His everything was sore. Caius grins. Innuendo wouldn't work on someone like Heraldus.
612
613"Oh, forget that, you can do that tomorrow, can't you? Don't you want to spend the night with me?"
614
615"Though I appreciate the offer, I have to find someplace that Aurelius here can stay."
616
617"You can bring your goat, you know. He's cute."
618
619"...Thank you." Aurelius says calmly.
620
621"AH!" She jumps. "He...did he just talk?"
622
623"Yes, yes I did."
624
625"Oh, so you're some kind of wizard?" She turns to smile at Heraldus, recovering from her shock.
626
627"No, though that would be really cool. I was a shepherd, and now I'm a mercenary."
628
629"Then, how is the goat talking?"
630
631"He figured out how to? I dunno."
632
633"I...I see." She fidgets, slightly nervous. "Well, he won't get in the way while we...?"
634
635"While we what?" Heraldus asks bluntly.
636
637"You know..."
638
639"Sorry, did I say something weird? You look kind of uncomfortable."
640
641"No, no, everything is fine...err...look, I'm going to cut straight to the point. I'm trying to ask you to lay with me." She recovers, still trudging on. Once she had her eyes set on prey, she didn't give up. It was a part of the game for her.
642
643"Lay with you? You mean, like, share a bed?" Heraldus inquires, as Caius tries to stifle laughter. He wasn't worried anymore.
644
645"No, the thing that two adults do..."
646
647"Oh, you're referring to sex, right?"
648
649"Gah! You...just went out and said it... But yes."
650
651"Sorry, I was taught that I should only do that to someone I'm married to. But I'm flattered that you asked." Heraldus shrugs. The woman deflates.
652
653"That's a...a no?"
654
655"Correct. It is a no."
656
657"...Am I not pretty to you?"
658
659"You're extremely pretty, it's just that I've much to be done, and if I stopped to have sex with every woman that I wanted to have sex with, I wouldn't be able to get anything done. Plus, it'd just feel wrong." He wasn't fazed in the slightest, shrugging it off. "One woman is enough."
660
661"One w-...is there another on your mind?"
662
663"Yeah, but it's not for anything like that, I'm just wondering how she's doing right about now."
664
665"Why don't I help you forget her, then?" She was exasperated, grasping at straws.
666
667"I'd rather remember. She's taught me some very important things."
668
669"Important..." Her mind immediately plunged into the gutter. "...Right, well...bye then." She sulks away, defeated.
670
671After a minute of silence passed, Heraldus stares thoughtfully at the sky. "...Why did she seem so sad? Was it really such a big deal to her?"
672
673Caius erupts into laughter, unable to hold it back any longer. "She lost at her own game, is all. Come on."
674
675They enter the Guild Market, which, as the name suggests, is where craftsmen from various guilds sell their wares in an open air bazaar. The first thing they were going to look for was armor and clothes. A sword is easy enough to find on a battlefield, but good fitting armor is often hard to come by. It was more important, as a soldier, to not die than it is to kill the enemy. That is because at your core, you are a resource. And wasting too many resources will always lead to problems. This is the martial philosophy that Caius drilled into Heraldus' mind from the beginning.
676
677"The armor you choose will have a heavy impact on your ability on the battlefield, so let's choose wisely, shall we? Heavier armor tends to hinder your movements more and increase the amount of stamina you use over time, but offers the best degree of defense. Lighter armor offers more mobility, but is structurally weaker. Then there's the degree to how modular-yes, Heraldus?" Caius was explaining how armor worked to the shepherd.
678
679"What does modular mean?"
680
681"Modular means, you can mix and match and freely alter a thing. Like...if you can unscrew a pommel and swap it out with another, as opposed to it being welded on, that's modular. As I was saying, the more modular armor is, the easier it is to maintain. But it sacrifices a bit of defensive capabilities...because, to be able to detatch one piece from another, there has to be a gap."
682
683"What if you like...I saw this weird rat thing with spikes like a pinecone, where the spikes kind of...overlapped." Heraldus mimics the spikes of a pangolin with his hands.
684
685"Oh, you mean the pangolin? But that's a really good point, and in fact, if you look right there, that's a technique armorers used too." He points at some scale mail. "But...right, what type of gear are you after?"
686
687"Something simple looking that I can move in. But also...I heard there's a lot of arrows. So something arrows can't easily kill me through."
688
689"Hmm...Does it have to be light?"
690
691"Not necessarily, I'm used to carrying heavy stuff in my backpack."
692
693"...Then, we'll do this. Half plate, with a gambeson, Should be in your price range and leave enough for a weapon and maybe a cheap shield, depending on what you pick for a helmet." He holds the gear in his hands.
694
695"I'll use that one." He points to a simple, barely adorned helmet with what was just two eye slits and some breathing holes near the mouth.
696
697"Not a bad choice, though it looks a bit cheaply made. You sure?"
698
699"I mean, all a helmet is really there to do is to stop fatal blows, right? As long as it's steel, shouldn't it be fine?"
700
701"...For the most part. Just avoid maces to the face, I guess."
702
703"I was going to do that anyways, don't worry."
704
705Caius pays for the armor that they pick out. It totaled up to 250 gold, leaving them with 50 to work with, and that wasn't even accounting for lodgings and the like. Heraldus was no mathematician, but even he knew that he had to make it stretch. He thinks about this as he girds his vambraces, following behind Caius.
706
707"Well, it's time we go and find our weapons. Mine is pretty much just scrap now." Caius jokes.
708
709"What kind of weapons should I carry around?" Heraldus asks him.
710
711"Well, you could keep things simple, and get a longsword along with a shield and a spear or something. An axe would be a lot of help against armored opponents, as would a mace. Or, if you want to buy yourself into poverty, just get a greatsword, like I'm about to."
712
713"Eh, I can eat grass or something." Heraldus shrugs. "And there's plenty of edible plants in the forest near here."
714
715"...If that's the case, why didn't I ever see you eat them?"
716
717"Because they taste bad."
718
719"Oh."
720
721"Well, I want a big sword, so I will buy a big sword."
722
723He grabbed a wide greatsword with a powerful looking bevel. Weighed around ten pounds. He liked it. It was thin enough to stab someone, but thick enough to be formiddable, and the crossguard was well-forged. The price was fifty gold exactly, and he gladly paid for it, slinging the woven sheath over his shoulder.
724
725"Ah, let me see the sword you chose...Damn, it's like a giant longsword. I didn't even notice that one. Why'd you pick it, out of curiosity?"
726
727"It looked simple, looked like it would last a while, and looked like it cut good. Also, it's big enough to knock away a heavy hit but light enough to swing fast...Oh, damn it, I forgot to get armor for Aurelius! Aurelius, why didn't you say anything?"
728
729"...I forgot to. But I don't need armor. I'm plenty strong without it; it'd only weigh me down."
730
731"What about if a stray arrow hits you?"
732
733"If."
734
735"...Well, alright. Just don't do anything reckless, alright?"
736
737"Yeah."
738
739Heraldus, now geared up and completely broke, heads over to the mercenary encampment with Caius. At the very least, he'd have a safe place to lay his head. He gets some slightly curious but otherwise apathetic looks from most of the other mercenaries, though there was some skepticism in the mix. He wasn't the youngest, or anything, but he was still in the younger age bracket. Naturally, they doubted if he could perform as well as someone older. So, there was a lot of gossip. Heraldus didn't seem like the mercenary type; he was a bit too clean, seemed too innocent and trusting, kept his hair too long, and looked like he still had some faith in humanity. Classic greenhorn.
740
741"Hey, kid, can you even lift that thing?" A mage calls out to him, laughing haughtily. She was kind of short, and dressed in a combination of light boiled leathers and robes. Her hair was dark brown, and she seemed like she was of dwarfish descent from her features and proportions.
742
743"Yeah, it's not as heavy as it looks." Heraldus shrugs, flicking his sword up out of the sheath and drawing it one handed, pointing it at her for a moment before sheathing it. Needless to say, she was slightly surprised. It was one thing to draw a sword, but from the back, with such a flourish, despite it being so large? Must've taken some degree of strength. Caius smirks proudly. He had taught him that one.
744
745"...Be careful pointing your sword at people, they might take that as a challenge..." She eventually recovers enough to say ominously.
746
747"I'll keep that in mind, thank you, err...what is your name? I'm Heraldus."
748
749"Call me Ma'm." She harrumphs.
750
751"Yes ma'm."
752
753"At least the kid's got some respect...well? Are you just here to gawk at me? You can get moving now. I've nothing to say to you."
754
755Heraldus was confused at her reaction, but hesitantly nods and begins to continue following Caius. He wondered if she was maybe having a bad day. She seemed kind of grumpy. Maybe she didn't get enough sleep.
756
757"That was the head of our magical research team. She may seem a bit bitchy at first, but she's good at her job, and she's a good person at heart." Caius explains, once they were out of earshot. "Don't take it personally, she's like that to everyone."
758
759"I wonder why." Heraldus muses.
760
761"Some say, it's because she's actually kind of afraid of being around so many men. So she has to try to make herself look strong. Some say, it's because she gets off on it. Other's just dismiss it as her being her. There isn't always a method to one's madness, after all."
762
763"Ah, as long as it wasn't because I did anything wrong, I'm fine with that."
764
765"You're a strange one, you know that? Anyways, here are the rules for when you're in the camp: Don't kill one another, and make sure you can deploy when it's time to deploy. Otherwise, do what you will. Oh, and money talks. Don't do favors for anyone without them giving you some sort of incentive; you're a mercenary. They'll take advantage of you if you let them, and they'll do it with a clear conscience. Don't ask anyone for favors unless you have something to offer them in return. Everyone's got a price, and every price is negotiable, no matter how firmly they plant their foot in the ground. But don't forget that we're all in the same family now. So stick up for each other when it matters, reward or none. That's how you gain respect here. Otherwise, they'll walk all over you."
766
767"Right."
768
769"Heyyy, fresh meat! You gonna pass me by without saying howdy?" A gruff man calls the two over.
770
771"Howdy." Heraldus says, stopping.
772
773"Gahahaha! That's the spirit! Hey, so, you're a merc now, eh? Come out here to play with the big boys? Swing a sword around? Maybe even 'become a hero'?" The man grins a wolfish grin.
774
775"Yeah."
776
777"Well, let me let you in on a little secret..." He leans in. "Heroes are the ones who die first here. If you wanna live long...you have to be the baddest motherfucker around here, understand? See, you're new, so I gotta clue you in on these things. When someone calls you somethin' like 'fresh meat'? Either, you don't respond, or you do them one worse. They like to feel you out with little tests like that, see? Don't take shit from no one. Course, don't be an ass either, nobody likes an ass. But you don't gotta worry about me and the guys I run with, see? We take care of our own. If you're looking to make a little extra coin on the side...you know who to chat up, yeah? Even if you just have...junk, to sell. You'd be surprised what people buy."
778
779"I see."
780
781"Good, make sure you keep seein'. Keep those eyes open. That bein' said...can you do me a little favor? See, I got this parcel for a guy around here called Gerdham. Big fella, full plate, weird trophies all over his armor. Think you can deliver it?"
782
783Heraldus thinks on this. He was about to accept immediately, but remembers what Caius told him. "...What's in it for me?"
784
785"Ahh, you're gonna last long around here! How's five gold sound for this little job?"
786
787"...Ten."
788
789"What? I can just go and walk over and give it to him for free! I'm cutting you a deal, here!"
790
791"Then, go and walk over if that's what you want to do. Or you can pay me ten gold, and I'll deliver it for you."
792
793"...I'll give you six gold."
794
795"Ten."
796
797"...Eight gold."
798
799"We have a deal." Heraldus smiles proudly, looking over to Caius, who gives him a thumbs up. He turns back to the man. "...Out of curiosity, though, why pay to deliver it if he's in the same camp?"
800
801"Well, for one, it was a test. And you passed. Now, people ain't always gonna tell you if you pass or not...but we're gonna be doin' a lot of business if you last around here. Think of it as an investment. I take care of my own, yeah? Now, the second reason...Gerdham creeps me the fuck out. He's always doing his dark magic shit, and a couple o days ago I gave him a shitty deal...he was pissed. He'd prolly rip my head off if he saw me again so soon. Don't tell em where I am, alright? I gotta give em some time to cool down."
802
803"Alright." Heraldus takes the package. It smelt like...plants. And blood. And something weird, kind of like a graveyard... Aurelius shrinks back, nervously. He didn't like what he was smelling.
804
805"Oh and, what's with the goat?"
806
807"This is my friend, Aurelius."
808
809"Don't you mean your pet?"
810
811"More like, battle brother." Aurelius explains.
812
813"Damn, I gotta stop smoking that weird shit..."
814
815"Why is everyone so surprised to see a talking goat, when there are children that can cause natural disasters just by sneezing too hard?" Aurelius was legitimately confused.
816
817"Because, goats ain't magical! It's creepy!"
818
819"Why is it so creepy? Owls are way more disturbing."
820
821"Owls was always weird so that stuff is normal for them! But a talkin' goat...that's a bad omen. The demons run around with goat horns too. You ever seen the tieflings? They're pretty goat-ish too."
822
823"Though you have a point there, can I also point out that they're bipedal and have thumbs, like a human? Do you see my point?"
824
825"I'm a human, so I know we ain't creepy like that."
826
827"...This is why I don't like to talk." Aurelius sighs, giving up on the pointless conversation.
828
829"Well, all that being said, do you know where I can find Gerdham?" Heraldus asks.
830
831"Ask around, you'll find him very quickly. Also, they'll wonder if you have a deathwish, but just ignore that."
832
833"...You...came to look...for ME?" Gerdham was completely confused. His tent was decorated with macabre art from a strange tribe. Strangely enough, it reminded Heraldus of the kind of art Gwyneth would create, though this was...more brutal. Gerdham was around nine feet tall, with dark skin and the horns of a minotaur, though smaller than those of the other minotaurs Heraldus had seen. His armor was decorated in skulls, bones, and a mysterious patchwork of different leathers, engraved with things from both the infernal and runic script, though Heraldus could only recognize the languages, not what the words actually were. Resting against the wall was a thick and vicious looking war scythe, hanging with preserved ears from many different races and the feathers of what seemed to be some sort of giant crow. He was intimidating.
834
835"Yeah, I have a package for you. I dunno what it is, but it smells weird." Heraldus hands over the wrapped package.
836
837"Ah, they've finally arrived..." Gerdham unpacks his box, leaning over his wooden table that had bone legs. Toes and everything. It was kind of funny, Heraldus ponders amusedly.
838
839Inside the package was an assortment of bones belonging to some unfortunate creature...it had the skull of a kobold, but Heraldus had never seen a kobold before. He watches the man assemble the skeleton curiously.
840
841"Hey, what are you doing, anyways?" Heraldus had no idea what was going on.
842
843"What, you aren't afraid? Most people run away when they see the inside of this tent."
844
845"I mean, I'm a bit creeped out by the weird stuff around the tent, but I figure you have your reasons."
846
847"Ah. Well, bluntly put, I'm doing a kind of necromancy. This kobold was a member of a dragon cult to the far south, one that was trying to ressurect a dracolich. I hate undead, yeah, but sometimes you gotta crack a few eggs to make an omlette. What I need is information."
848
849"So you fight zombies and stuff?"
850
851"Yeah, that's where most of these trophies are from. That, and from fallen foes I deem worthy. It's a Minotaur thing." He explains, beginning to perform a ritual that magically bonded the bones.
852
853"Ah, that's actually kind of cool. How come, though?"
854
855"...Can I let you in on a secret? Don't tell anyone."
856
857"Alright."
858
859"It's because I'm afraid of undead. Ever since I was a little boy. One night I was returning home from fishing in a pond late, and I got carried away by a bunch of ghostly warriors. So I'm trying to face my fear. It became...a morbid obsession, and then a hobby, and now I want to eradicate them all. But, to do that to the best of my ability...I have to be able to think like both a necromancer and a paladin. So I became both."
860
861"Wait, you're a paladin? I thought they were more...shiny."
862
863"That's the usual ones, yeah...but there are some...darker oaths out there. Ones that don't get as much publicity, whether it be out of fear or ignorance. It's a means to an end for me, though."
864
865"What oath did you take?"
866
867"Conquest."
868
869"Ah."
870
871The skeleton got up on the table, crouching and twitching jerkily. The weird plants had vanished as part of the ritual. "I command you to go to the temple of your master!"
872
873The skeleton immediately begins to move south, out of the tent.
874
875"And now, it's just a matter of waiting. I will always know where he is, so until he stops moving, I bide my time."
876
877"...So, if you're fighting undead and stuff, why become a mercenary?"
878
879"Research and components are expensive. I need funding, and so I put my talents to work."
880
881"Oh, makes sense. Well, nice meeting you, Gerdham. I'm Heraldus."
882
883"...Mmmhmm." He eventually nods, still kind of confused at how Heraldus managed to be so nice to someone like him. The boy turns to leave.
884
885"Hold on, you went to see Gerdham? Like, actually went? Doesn't seem like you wet yourself." The lady known as Ma'm was standing and talking with the shady guy who sent the package.
886
887"Why would I do that? I was just handing over a delivery."
888
889"Alright then, riddle me this...what's his table look like?"
890
891"Oak, with human foot bones as the legs."
892
893"Yeah, alright, you got me there. But I'm kind of impressed. Later, I'm gonna ask him how much of a nervous wreck you were."
894
895"You aren't afraid of him?"
896
897"...What, were you?"
898
899"Not really, but the weird artifacts sent shivers down my spine. I don't get why they were acting like I was going to my death. He's actually a pretty nice guy."
900
901"RIGHT?! I mean...err...Yeah, he can be nice sometimes." Her cheeks were slowly turning red.
902
903"...Yeah. Well, I'm off to sleep." Heraldus yawns. "Thanks for showing me around, Caius, and it's nice meeting you, Ma'm and..." His eyes linger over the merchant.
904
905"Theodore."
906
907"Theodore, right."
908
909
910
911"I trust the preparations for next week's expeditions are complete, Darthaniel?"
912
913"Yes, my liege."
914
915"Good. Hopefully those Mercenaries can buy us enough time to move into place for our main assault."
916
917"They should be able to, sir. I've heard many good things about them despite their being a relatively new outfit. Though...that captain of theirs...I've looked into his records. There are certain...inconsistencies, that must be looked further into. The possibilities I see are: he isn't who he says he is, for one, or that his records were mixed up with someone else's. Or, the scholars messed up, and it could be an honest mistake, but...when is that ever the case?"
918
919"Do you think that he may be a spy?"
920
921"We can't rule that possibility out yet."
922
923"Well, continue as planned. And if your results are...satisfactory enough, we can look into another investigation on your brother. For now, his execution is unscheduled. If you spoke the truth, he will walk free, provided you do as you are told."
924
925"Thank you for your gracious help, milord. By your leave?"
926
927"Mmhmm."
928
929Darthaniel salutes, turns, and strides out, placing his helmet on his head. Mostly plain and unadorned, and forged in a way that it wouldn't reflect much light, like the rest of his armor. A bastard sword hangs sideways across his lower back, obscured by his cloak. Drifting to the ground was a single white hair, shimmering in the evening light like a drifting snowflake.
930
931CHAPTER 4
932
933~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
934
935
936"Alright, listen up, and listen up good, newbies. Some of you may know how to handle yourselves on your own, it's true...but as of right now, you belong to the group. So you gotta learn how to act for the group, on an individual level and united. Go onto the battlefield overconfident and ignorant, and you just may be the death of your comrades, let alone yourselves. Swing too wide, and you become a bigger danger to us than our enemies... We might even have to put you down." The Captain was explaining to the rookies. Mainly young men and women, with humans being the biggest demographic, followed by tieflings, halflings, dwarves, and Gerdham, who was a strange minotaur hybrid...but there were three elves amongst them. A pair of twin high elf males that both bore serious and gaunt expressions, and a female dark elf with a kind of nervous determination in her eyes.
937
938Heraldus stands at attention along with the others, his helmet on his head. While he felt excitement, he couldn't help but feel uneasy, and he couldn't help but wonder about the elves. In a way, they were like him in that most of their gear was actually subpar compared to that of the other mercenaries, but from what little he saw, that was where the similarities ended. Still, they were mysterious. He wanted to know more.
939
940"HERALDUS. STOP MAKING GOO-GOO EYES AT THE ELF GIRL AND PAY ATTENTION!" The Captain shouts, folding his arms.
941
942"SIR! It won't happen again!" He salutes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl was visibly uncomfortable but tried her best to stay at attention. Aurelius snickers to himself from the edge of camp, where he was grazing.
943
944"That's a good lad. Now, what was the last thing I said?"
945
946"That, you may have to put us down if we get too disorderly, sir."
947
948"Interesting. So you WERE paying attention, at least to that. But, let me ask you...what is your opinion on this?" The Captain hops down from his platform and leans forward, looking down into Heraldus' eyes inquisistively.
949
950"I believe it is unnecessarily cruel, sir. But then, I've never fought on the battlefield. I'm sure you have your reasons." Heraldus replies seriously, unflinching.
951
952"The answer to why we have such a...'cruel' policy, as you say, is earlier in my lecture. Who here can tell young Heraldus here what it was that I said?"
953
954One of the elf twins steps forward and salutes. "Sir. You said... 'As of right now, you belong to the group.'"
955
956"And why is that important, Gorre?"
957
958"Because, that means that the needs of the group take precedence over the needs of the individual. If a limb is rotten and spreading it's toxins, that limb must be severed for the wellbeing of the body, no matter how much it hurts."
959
960"Absolutely correct. Because, sometimes, in order to be able to walk freely...you have to cut off a leg. When that time comes, you have to do that without the slightest hesitation. Waste too much time, and you die. Can you handle the pain, Heraldus?"
961
962"I'll have to, sir."
963
964"That's good. No bravado, but you don't seem like a coward either. That's a good answer. Well, we've learned more from this short conversation than I could've told you all during my entire speech, so you are dismissed. If I'm going to waste my time, I'm going to waste it doing something I want. With that, it's time to go drinkin'." He puffs up proudly, before turning and leaving. He had a slight gimp in his right leg, around the knee...
965
966"...Were you paying attention?" Gorre asks concernedly, approaching Heraldus.
967
968"Yeah."
969
970"How were you, if you were busy ogling us elves?"
971
972"I mean, thinking 'hmm, I wonder what these guys are like, they're kind of mysterious' doesn't really take up too much focus."
973
974"...Is that really what you were thinking?"
975
976"Yeah."
977
978"And why should I believe you?"
979
980"Why shouldn't you? If you doubt everything, you'll take twice as long to reach the truth."
981
982"Yeah, well I'd rather reach the truth late than live a lie."
983
984"Fair point. Still, why are you worried about me all of a sudden?"
985
986"Worried...? About YOU? No, I just had to make sure that I wasn't fighting in the same ranks as a daydreaming dunce. Those sorts die first and take everyone with them."
987
988"Ah, good looking out, then."
989
990"...You aren't the brightest, are you?"
991
992"Not in book learning, at least."
993
994"You're just going to let me insult you like that? How naive are you?"
995
996"Why should I care what you think or say? What I'm going to eat for lunch is more important. I'm probably going into town, last night I lucked out so I don't have to eat grass today. Want to come with me?"
997
998"Why should I?" He was in shock at the turn the conversation took.
999
1000"I mean, if you aren't hungry, you can just say that. No nxeed to be so cold about it."
1001
1002"Gah-..."
1003
1004"...I couldn't help but overhear you and my brother." The other twin approaches, laughing. "Please excuse him, he has a tendency to puff up. People normally give him a hard time, so I hope you understand."
1005
1006"Yeah, it's fine. How about you, though, want to come with? I don't really know the town too well, so maybe you can show me a good place."
1007
1008"You're not afraid to be seen walking with an elf?"
1009
1010"Why should I? Is it a bad thing or something?"
1011
1012"...I see, you aren't from around here, are you?"
1013
1014"Nope, from a town around a month by foot to the southeast. I had only read about elves and dwarves and stuff in books. We were all humans."
1015
1016"Ahh, I understand. Yeah, there's kind of...people don't really treat elves nicely around here. It's been like that for over a generation now."
1017
1018"That's terrible! How come?"
1019
1020"...There was a violent uprising around twenty five years ago. A widespread cult of elven supremacists. The current emperor was able to put a stop to them with the help of Lord Jehoram, but as a knee-jerk reaction, elves became discriminated against, because the people weren't happy with the atrocities the cult committed. I'm not legally able to say their name...while in this country. No elf is. And all records have been destroyed, yet if you ask anyone, they'll pretty much tell you the same thing. But...be careful asking about this. This is a sensitive subject, and asking the wrong person can even get you landed in jail, even though it's not illegal to talk about like we are."
1021
1022"That sucks. Why can't you say their name, though?"
1023
1024"It's a safety measure to prevent it from reforming. They'd rather everyone just forgot about it. If an elf says their name, they can be executed for treason."
1025
1026"I understand. But that explains why the ones I've seen have mostly been so...shy or quiet, or downright miserable. I wonder if there's a way to stop things from being this way, though. It doesn't seem fair."
1027
1028"That's just the way it is. Don't worry about it, we just keep our heads down and things go fine for the most part. Oh, and my name is Kars, by the way."
1029
1030"Nice to meet you. Oh, I should probably invite the girl..."
1031
1032"Don't bother with her. There's being shy, and then there's being completely unsociable. She doesn't even say 'hi' when someone greets her, yet I know for a fact that she isn't a mute because I hear her talk to herself ALL the time..." Gorre scoffs. Out of the corner of his eyes, Heraldus sees the poor girl's heart break.
1033
1034"It's kind of ironic that you'd call someone completely unsociable." Kars stifles a laugh. He didn't know if she heard Gorre, and he didn't want to make it seem like he was laughing at her.
1035
1036"...I'm going to go and talk to her." Heraldus ignores Gorre and walks over to the girl, who had a straight face, but sadness in her eyes. She begins to shrink back as Heraldus approaches, but he holds out his hand for her to stop and stands just close enough that she could hear him. "Hey. I'm Heraldus, but you probably know that already. I'm sorry about earlier... I didn't mean to get you called out like that. You looked really uncomfortable. So sorry again. I'm going out to eat with Kars and Gorre, do you want to come? I'll pay for you to make it up to you for earlier, but I've only got eight gold so that's your budget."
1037
1038She opens her mouth in awe, then promptly closes it, and shakes her head. But her stomach betrayed her brave face. It was grumbling. She opens her mouth to speak, and a barely audible 'yes please' escapes. Heraldus smiles, then turns and beckons for her to follow him. "Come on Kars, Gorre. You too, Aurelius-no? Okay, suit yourself. Food tastes better the more people you eat with. Let's go!"
1039
1040Caius watches from the corner of his eyes with a grin, turning back to look at his hand and tossing a card down on the board with the other mercs he was playing with. The High Priestess. Three of cups. Two of swords. He won the pot.
1041
1042
1043"HERALDUS! What's she got that I don't?!" The woman from the day before was now in hot pursuit of the terrified boy. He only started running away from her because she started running towards him.
1044
1045"Her sanity, for one!" He calls back frantically. The elven trio were in shock at first at the inhumanly tall lady suddenly jumping out at them, but they eventually started chasing after the two in order to keep up.
1046
1047"I'm just crazy for you!"
1048
1049"That...isn't very reassuring..." He mumbles, vaulting off of one high bridge onto a lower one above the canal.
1050
1051"Why do you run?!" She attempts to pounce on him from above, but he sidesteps her and continues to flee as she stumbles, teetering on the edge of the bridge.
1052
1053"Because you're chasing me!" He yells, only to hear a splash behind him.
1054
1055"Help me, Heraldus, I can't swim!" She was frantically splashing.
1056
1057"Are you just lying so that you can just catch me off guard?" He stops and leans over the bridge, looking at her.
1058
1059"No, I really can't swim!"
1060
1061Heraldus instantly dives into the water, armor and all, and swims up to her. It was tough due both in part to his armor and his stomach being full, but he was able to drag her backwards to the stairs nearby. That was when he noticed...Her feet could touch the floor. She had let them dangle when she calmed down, and her toes were touching the floor. Heraldus' face goes dark, and he lets her go at the foot of the steps, shaking his head sadly and walking off. The elven trio was watching from the upper bridge, and Karres and Gorre were laughing uncontrollably.
1062
1063"W-wait! Don't go!"
1064
1065"Goodbye, lady." Heraldus says coldly. His clothes were dripping wet now. He was miserable. But it wasn't only because his armor was soaked; he hated dishonesty more than anything else in the world. It was why he himself was always so honest and forthright. She had breached that, and it made him angry.
1066
1067She was at a loss for words. Or more like, she wanted to say a hundred things at once, but nothing escaped her mouth. She really couldn't swim, and she didn't mean to trick him, but it was too late. What was so shocking for her was the fact that he actually got angry. He hadn't seemed like that type of person. It was kind of scary.
1068
1069"Come on, let's get you back to camp. You can dry off by the fire." Kars says reassuringly, wrapping his arm around Heraldus' shoulder.
1070
1071While drying off by the bonfire, Heraldus' mind wandered from it's usual lighthearted curiosity to dark pondering. Eventually, he was going into battle for the first time. He could very well die. How was he going to die? Skull hacked open? Head bashed in? Bristling with arrows? No, maybe if he dodged that deathstroke in this way, ducked that mace at the right time, somehow avoided the arrows... But the arrows...even if one didn't hit him, wasn't he bound to get hit eventually? Wouldn't that hurt? Would he be able to handle it...
1072
1073"What's eatin' ya, Heraldus?" Caius looks over at him from where he was sitting, off to the side. He was mending his armor.
1074
1075"Just...dying sounds like it hurts a lot." He muses.
1076
1077"Deathly so, I'm afraid."
1078
1079"Hey, how does it feel to get shot with an arrow?"
1080
1081"A lot like getting bitten, only in a smaller area and probably deeper."
1082
1083"How about...getting hit with a mace?"
1084
1085"Ever trip over a rock? It's like that, except with more broken bones. A lot more."
1086
1087"...What about getting my skull hacked in two, helmet and all?"
1088
1089"Dunno, let me know if you ever find out." Caius grins darkly. "No, you wouldn't feel that, I don't think. That's an instant kill."
1090
1091"What if there's that moment of agony right before I die?"
1092
1093"Then, you gotta handle that moment of agony. There's nothing you can do about it. But take comfort in that it would only be a moment...that is, if yer lucky. But don't go out there assumin ye get an honorable death or nothin'. And don't you dare let yourself die after you get hurt just because it's too painful. I don't care if they peel the flesh from your body and beat you with it, you better find a way back to camp."
1094
1095"That...sounds really painful..."
1096
1097"...Pain is relative, anyways. It may be a walk in the park for you. Who knows. But what's important is that you still know how to handle it properly; some people will tell you, it's all in your head. Ignore those people. They don't know true agony. To suffer is to live, and to live is to suffer. Every sensation you feel is some kind of pain. But it's the strife that makes us strong. That bein' said... If you ever get to the point, where you can't take it no more...where you feel like yer about to lose yer mind... distance yourself from reality. Go to where you need to be, in that noggin of yours. Maybe it's pickin apples, or maybe it's that girl that yer now thinkin' o', or maybe yer mad at yer old man for such and so, and you're gonna wallop him so hard when you get back home... But while you're there, keep your eyes turned to the real world. Look for your opportunity to strike, but tell yourself you aren't really there. You aren't running away from the fight by doin' that. Yer retreatin' to launch a counterattack."
1098
1099"You sound like you have a lot of experience."
1100
1101"Eh, in the end I'm just like you. I'm just a boy that likes to play with swords. It's just, accidents happen, ya know? Runnin' round, wavin sharp objects like that...someone's bound ta get hurt."
1102
1103"I'd imagine that's the point."
1104
1105"Yeah, exactly! That's what makes it fun. We're just kids playin' a game, but with our lives at stake. So if ya don't wanna lose it to a better player, you damn well better play well yourself."
1106
1107"It...doesn't seem so scary when you put it like that."
1108
1109"Don't worry, it'll be fun. I'll even watch yer back for ya. But in return, you gotta watch mine, yeah? We'll pick off plenty!" He extends his hand to Heraldus.
1110
1111"Yeah." Heraldus smiles, shaking his hand as they pat each other on the shoulder with their other hand. His mood had brightened.
1112
1113
1114Darthaniel kneels in front of the altar in an unlit chapel as rain falls outside as if to welcome the full moon, in a long and silent prayer for guidance and justice. He wanted vindication. But...he was unsure of himself. The things he did...the things he was doing...what he was planning on doing afterwards...selfless sacrifices, or selfish hypocrisies? Did the Why of it really matter? Did it justify the How?
1115
1116"...Yes?" He calls out, eyes still closed and hands still clasped.
1117
1118"...Sir Knight. There is someone here to see you. I...did not want to interrupt, though." A young nun with grey eyes and freckles nervously clings to her crucifix. The mysterious knight always came in, fully armored. Never showed his face, and always charged her with the care of his sword by thrusting it into her hands wordlessly. This was the first word he had ever spoken to her despite him frequenting that chapel for almost a season now. And it was always after sunset. At the back of her mind, she wondered if he was some kind of devil, but she always quickly waved those thoughts away.
1119
1120"Then, let them come." He rises and turns to face the nun and visitor, looming menacingly over them. He cast a long shadow through the moonlit aisle.
1121
1122The visitor was a paladin in darkened armor, similar to his and Gerdham's, but adorned with holy symbols instead of macabre trophies, unlike Gerdhams, and having some degree of ornamentation, unlike Darthaniel's. He takes off his helmet and holds it under his arm. His hair was long, dark brown, and fell into a sort of braid around his shoulders. His skin was tan. He had fierce green eyes, and his black facial markings along with impressive height show him to be from the tribe of the Ebonwich Warriors. The nun clings to her crucifix even tighter, cheeks ablaze, and begins to mumble prayers in order to keep her composure.
1123
1124"Darthaniel. Important. Negative energy spike, three days west of here."
1125
1126"...I see. Come, Manuel. Let us go." Darthaniel strides down the aisle. The nun had come to her senses in time to give him his sword. To her surprise, he thanks her with a pat to the head before chuckling and walking into the night with the warrior.
1127
1128The nun recovers from her fear enough to gaze at the doorway thoughtfully, and silently pray for the knight's return.
1129
1130CHAPTER 5
1131
1132~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1133
1134
1135"Hey, Heraldus, W-why the fuck are you up so early?" Ma'm pokes her head into Heraldus' tent, about to yell to him, only to be shocked at the boy sitting in a chair, fully dressed and groomed, drinking bush tea from a giant mug.
1136
1137"Cause it's dawn?" He was visibly confused.
1138
1139"I-...I see. Wait, no, I came to wake you up because there's a bit of trouble going on in the city. The scouts are reporting a squad of Confederation soldiers moving in on the Keep, and they'll be here in less than an hour. You ready to get that sword of yours bloody?"
1140
1141"Oh, I know this one, this is an innuendo, right?" Heraldus jokes cheerfully.
1142
1143"...Please, just put your armor on. Meet us outside the gate's walls." She sighs, letting the flap drop and walking away, exasperated disbelief painted on her face. Heraldus laughs. He was being ironic that time.
1144
1145Heraldus places the mug of tea down, and begins to don his armor. Despite his excitement the days before, a sadness fell over him when he was putting his armor. For the first time since he set out from home, he was homesick. And it was right before a battle of all times. He could feel his heart rising up into his throat and his stomach tightening. Every inch of his body was telling him to run back home. Now that he would be visiting Death's fields, he began to truly understand what it meant to be afraid. He gulps down the rest of the tea. There wasn't sugar in there or anything, it was just a cheap way to get energy. He didn't want to get up, but forced himself to.
1146
1147His fears began to dispel like parting clouds, though, once he put his hand on the brooch given to him by Gwyneth. It gave him the courage he needed to take up his sword and begin to make his way to the keep. Gwyneth...he had missed her most of all. Why did he make such a selfish decision? Why did he leave her in the village all alone like that? The other men were too scared to approach her. He knew that. He knew there wouldn't be any better person there for her, and yet...he still left. He lied to himself. But it was too late to turn back now. He had left to become a hero, and so he would. So that her suffering wouldn't be in vain.
1148
1149"Now ain't the time to start missin' yer nan, Heraldus. Chin up, broad steps. You're a soldier now. Not just a soldier, a warrior. You gotta carry yourself like one too." Caius gives him a hearty slap on the back as he mulls his way over to the gate, shocking him out of his sadness.
1150
1151"That's...right. I'm a warrior now. I have to psyche myself up." Heraldus grins, sadness still in his eyes. He grips the air, tightening his bicep to the point of the bones in his fist making a cracking noise. He stretches his neck and strides forward, forcing himself to be confident and relaxed.
1152
1153"Eyy, that's the spirit! Don't worry so much, you watch my back and I'll watch yours. We'll get outta this. Plus, you've got Aurelius. May look like a goat, but I still say he's just as much a man as any warrior, ain't that right Relly?"
1154
1155"...Relly?" Aurelius tilts his head. "That aside, I may not be able to use a sword but I'll still do my best. And Heraldus. Don't forget our arrangement."
1156
1157"I won't. It's burned into my soul." Heraldus strikes his chest. Aurelius grins, and Caius puffs up proudly.
1158
1159"Alright, I'm only talkin' once, so listen up and listen good! Right now, there's an invading Confederation force coming to siege the walls of the keep any minute now, coming from the mountains to the northeast, most likely attacking from the forest, but we anticipate them to try to take the flanks and the front gate. The scouts reported rope ballistas and a squad carrying a battering ram. Numbering around 300, from the reports, but keep in mind this was just at a glance.
1160
1161What we're gonna do is divide you into three big squads. There's sixty of us, so three teams of twenty. Since you'll be working alongside the Drachenheim forces, I want you to be on your best behaviors, understand? Five mages to a team, cause we've got fifteen magic users among us. Caius, you take the rookies and hold the front; you're good at that. Ma'm, you take left flank, and me and Theo'll take the right. Theo...no shiftin' this time, alright? We'll be here a while, so we can't have the soldiers raiding us with torches and pitchforks lookin' for you.
1162
1163Remember, watch out for your squaddies, and make sure you meet back with me ALIVE. Otherwise, I'll give yer body to Gerdham!" This got laughter mixed with fear all around. They feared Gerdham more than they feared death. That sort of fear was a powerful thing. The captain pulls down his visor.
1164
1165Heraldus was in a squad with the elf trio and Caius. Apparently, the girl was named Hedda, and was actually a very gifted cryomancer according to the chatter of the other four mages and how they were actually able to have a conversation with her, who was normally quiet. Heraldus couldn't follow a word she was saying, but he was glad that she was talking at all. Gorre was tinkering with his crossbow, making sure everything was in order. Kars was humming with his arms folded and his eyes closed, Aurelius was eating grass very loudly, and Heraldus was squatting and watching the rest of the soldiers make their preparations. He noted that the main Drachenheim forces were actually in the back lines as opposed to mixed in with them, for the most part, though there were a few that were feeling extra valorious and made their way to the front.
1166
1167Then, the war horns blew from the watchtower above, and the first volley from the forest began to sail towards them, but the ten at the shield wall were able to block the few shots that would've actually made it through.
1168
1169"CHARGE THEM AND TAKE OUT THOSE ARCHERS!" Caius shouts, raising his greatsword into the air and then pointing towards the treeline. Heraldus and Aurelius were the first to begin to charge off, followed by Caius, Kars with his greataxe, and their shield line.
1170
1171Aurelius runs alongside Heraldus. "Hop on!"
1172
1173Heraldus nods and pounces onto the the back of the charging ram, sword at the ready in one hand and the other gripping Aurelius' horn. The enemy's front line began to retreat in fear at the crazy shepherd charging at them, attempting to use the trees to shelter them from his blade. They weren't expecting him to dismount and trap one of the archers against the very tree he was hiding behind in order to dispatch of them, nor were they expecting the giant ram to charge towards the nearest soldier and absolutely decimate his kneecaps with a blow from his horns, blasting through their greaves.
1174
1175Heraldus howls and enters a state of panic, swiping frantically at nearby advancing soldiers, but at the back of his mind, he was trying not to pay attention to the fact that he had just killed a man. By the time reinforcements had arrived to help him push the others back, he had already killed four soldiers in his state of panic and wounded two more, who he was currently chasing down. Given the environment, it wasn't safe for the mages to enter, so they hung back with the keep archers.
1176
1177One soldier attempted to jump out at Heraldus' back, but was cut down by Caius before he could even hit the ground. "Heraldus! What the hell are you doing?! Stop charging in so deep!"
1178
1179His words fell on deaf ears, though. Heraldus had went berserk. All the fear, anger, and sadness was surging through him, driving him on a killing frenzy. He was attacking recklessly with no regard for the various wounds he was accumulating; if anything, the pain only spurred him on even more.
1180
1181"Boy's gone mad! Don't go near Heraldus! We'll use him to our advantage. Push up behind him until you rout them! Him and that goat have got them in a state of panic!"
1182
1183As he says this, Heraldus lunges into a man's stomach, lifts him over his head, still on the blade, and body-slams him, spinning into an upward slash at a man who was closing in on his flank. The blood spilt from the man's armpit as he shrieked in pain. Heraldus continued to charge through with no regard to his personal safety, leaving a trail of mangled bodies, screaming men, and blood in his wake. But when he came to a clearing in the forest where the enemy had formed a defensive line...he sobered up very quickly. Looming over him was...it was something that shouldn't have existed, even in that world.
1184
1185A giant mass of sickly flesh, leathers, furs... all sewn together. Countless disembodied faces writhed and contorted with each breath the giant took, and the smell of smoke and sulfur filled the air with every exhalation. Branded into it's flesh were accursed symbols and writs, winding around it's entire body. It had sad eyes, and no lips. It's teeth were made of sharpened steel. Tears of blood leaked from it's eyes, and steam fumed out of it's nostrils. It was chained up in shackles and holding a battering ram like it was a light club. It's breathing stops as Heraldus freezes up, and it gradually turns it's sad eyes onto him, before a look of fear and horror fills it's face. It lowers it's jaws to scream at him, and the distorted voice of a baby rings out, shaking the battlefield. The soldiers behind it grin smugly as it begins to chase around Heraldus, shrieking and swinging at him. All Heraldus could do is try his best to outrun it's attacks, but it kept chasing him in circles. Aurelius attempts to charge it, but gets swatted away.
1186
1187"SHIT! A flesh golem! The rest of you go and give chase to the enemy; Kars and I will try to buy enough time for us all to retreat!" Caius barks, immediately charging at the golem and slashing at it's leg. It left a deep gash, but...No blood was drawn. It wasn't deep enough. It was, however, deep enough to get the beast to flinch, saving Heraldus' life by a hair. "Alright, Heraldus! It's weak spot is it's brain! It may seem like an undead, but it's actually a living creature! Kars and I will try to open him up for you to finish!" He says this as the three of them take turns avoiding it's attacks and making attacks that don't seem to do more than just cut a few layers of the many. Heraldus especially had trouble wounding it because it was mainly focused on him.
1188
1189"I'm going to die here, aren't I..." Tears stream down his face, into his clothes. He sidesteps a punch and manages to cut off it's left pinky. A pointless endeavor that only made it even more mad.
1190
1191"You are if you just stand there and cry! Pretend that you're fighting an animal or something! Like you're fighting me!"
1192
1193"I can't! It's too terrifying! This thing shouldn't exist!"
1194
1195As if in reply, it shrieks and attempts to hammer-fist him. He was only just barely able to get out of the way in time. Armor or not, he would've been a pancake.
1196
1197"Yeah, well guess what! IT FUCKING DOES, ALRIGHT? THAT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER! YOU HAVE YOUR SWORD! THAT'S WHAT MATTERS!" Kars screams, cleaving through it's left achilles tendon after many powerful swings. It was lurching forward as he did that, so it began to fall, but it propped itself with it's hands and knees. Heraldus took that moment to rush forward and pierce it through the eye, driving the blade in, all the way to the hilt.
1198
1199"Die please, die please, die please..." He cries, shaking his head and blubbering. Putrid blood sprayed all over him, but it was finally over. The beast collapses. Heraldus falls backwards and continues to weep. This time, not out of fear, but out of relief for having survive, and for the lives he had taken so far.
1200
1201"...Congratulations, Heraldus. You killed yourself your first monster. Big one, too."
1202
1203"I...I didn't...Kars did..."
1204
1205"Considering it's your sword covered in brain gunk..." Kars laughs weakly, supporting himself with the butt of his axe as he catches his breath. "I'd say you were the one who got the killing blow. Now stop crying, the others will make fun of you if they see you like this. You just killed a FLESH GOLEM, Heraldus. A walking abomination. Those things...they've taken out whole warbands before, alone. We got lucky that we had it in such an enclosed space... Get up and hold your head high...cause the others are returning now." He jerks his head over to the treeline, where the sounds of casual marching was approaching. Heraldus recognized the voice. It was successful.
1206
1207Heraldus' eyes widens and he looks around for Aurelius, who was now unconcious against a tree. A single arrow stuck out of his shoulder. He rushes over, squinting tiredly, and begins to patch Aurelius' wounds with a scrap cut from his cape after cutting the arrow out carefully.
1208
1209"...You absolute madmen...you actually managed to take that thing down? Normally it takes siege weapons to do that!" One of the knigts who had decided to join the fight on the front laughs. "Man, why didn't you just run away though?"
1210
1211"I was...too afraid to run away. I could barely move my legs." Heraldus admits.
1212
1213"...Afraid, huh...Yeah, I'd have felt the same way. I'd have shit myself, seeing that thing running at me. But you know...bravery isn't the lack of fear...it's overcoming the fear that you do have. Respect." He pounds his chest before sniffing loudly. "Eugh. You reek, though. But the battle isn't over yet. We have to return and confirm the situation." The knight shrugs, shouldering his halberd and striding out of the forest.
1214
1215Gorre and the mages were trying their best to stem the flood of enemies that broke away from the flanks to surge up on the main gate, but there were so many that they struggled to stem the tide for long enough for the knights at the backlines to part their way to the front. One unfortunate magician, a young boy around age 15 by the name of Christopher, was shot through the eye by a bolt that wasn't even meant for him. And the worst part was...he didn't die. He lay on the floor, convulsing, defecating and wetting himself, shrieking. But it hadn't went deep enough to kill him. He was going to survive, and that was a fate worse than if he had died.
1216
1217Christopher was a young and ambitious enchanter, raised on the Golden Isles to the west. He had come from a well-off family, borderline nobility but lacking the deeds to qualify for recognition. So he had set out in order to make a name for himself and raise his family up onto the pedestal where he felt they belonged. He was a hardworker, and a very social and charismatic person. Wherever he was, laughter and high spirits were sure to follow. Now, he couldn't even form a single word. He couldn't even say how much pain he was in.
1218
1219Gorre had reached vainly, attempting to catch the bolt in flight in his panic. Time seemed to slow, and he could only watch in horror as it shoots past his hand, bringing an end to a legacy before it even began. He wasn't really Christopher's friend, they were more like acquaintances, but...it hurt him. It hurt him really badly. It shook him to the core. He began to regret not talking to him more...not making the extra effort...the teasing and the snide comments...and he felt like it was his fault. Gorre sighs, and narrows his eyes, raising his crossbow and returning a bolt that would avenge the youth. Now wasn't the time to cry. Their healer rushed to Christopher's side, pulling him back and beginning to tend to his wounds using the nearby knights as cover. But healers can't restore what is lost; they can only mend what's there already.
1220
1221The Confederation's front line finds themselves knocked onto their asses and their horses overturned by a chilling gust from the direction of the mountains. Hedda was chanting darkly, a violent and ominous incantation, disturbing the ether around her to such an extent that even those who weren't gifted with magic could feel the mana being sucked into her and expelled forcefully. Glyphs danced and shimmered around her, and the enemies try their best to flee, but they wouldn't be so fortunate. They found themselves running into a wall of earth, held together by the roots of a large tree that was just a saplings mere seconds before. That was because next to Hedda was Petros, the exiled Druid. Not only was he manipulating the nature around him to serve his will, but he was also assisting Hedda by sucking the life force out of the earth beneath him and channeling it into her. That was a grievous sin for a Druid to commit, even one such as he was, but it was one he was willing to commit in order to avenge the youth. Christopher was like a son to him.
1222
1223And so, the entire frontline was obliterated, crucified to the roots of the tree by shards of ice, and disfigured by the blades of wind assaulting them. The oak itself was draining the lifeforce of those that were unlucky enough to survive even that, and it's bark turned red, saturated with blood. Hedda collapses, but Petros catches her in his arm, barely able to stand himself. He leans on his staff and hobbles into the city, through the ranks of the soldiers that parted respectfully and fearfully.
1224
1225At the flanks, the enemy were demoralized, and so their commander, who was trading blows with the Captain, breaks away from the fight and calls a retreat. They find themselves chased all the way to the very mines they attacked from, holding out hope that the ambush that they had set up would be able to finish the job. They weren't so fortunate. The ambushers had found themselves in an ambush, surrounded from the marshes and pinned against the mountain. A slaughter ensued, and the only man left standing was the Confederation commander, who sank to his knees, in disbelief at the complete and utter defeat he had just suffered. Heraldus was a part of the team that gave chase, as were Kars, Gorre, and Caius.
1226
1227Heraldus stares vacantly at the floor as Lord Joachim, the founder and lord of Drachenheim Keep, gives his victory speech. Due to his age, he wasn't able to participate directly in the fight, but he was still the strategist responsible for the excellent defense of the Keep. He was tall and muscular despite his age, though he needed to use a cane to support his back. He dressed in well maintained armor, the same as the other knights, but wore his crimson mantle over it. He had a very dignified air to him despite being of common birth. One would think they were talking to the King, from the way he carried himself.
1228
1229"Caius Atticus, step forward. For your strong leadership, continued exceptional performance in the line of duty, your role in the felling of the Flesh Golem, and for slaying 23 enemy soldiers, we bestow upon you Knighthood and the title of Crimson Ram."
1230
1231"Thank you, my Liege." Caius kneels, receiving his knighthood with honor.
1232
1233"Kars Ulamora. Step forward. For your strength of character, skill in battle, your role in the dispatching of the Flesh Golem, and for the slaying of 15 enemy soldiers, we bestow upon you Knighthood and the title of Warden."
1234
1235"Much appreciated, milord." Kars kneels, bowing his head with a tranquil smile as he is knighted.
1236
1237"Gorre Ulamora. With my own two eyes, I have witnessed your incredible marksmanship, and the finesse with which you wield your blade in the defense of your allies. You have felled 30 men. With all things considered, I raise you to Knighthood, and I grant you the title of Winged Blade."
1238
1239Gorre was actually blushing as he knelt to receive his honors. Kars shot him a mischevious grin.
1240
1241"...Heraldus Viridius, along with Aurelius Viridius. Step forward. Shepherd of sheep...slayer of men. Heraldus. Your performance on the field was nothing short of exceptional. At first, I thought that my aide, Sir Albert, was in jest when he spoke of the incredible feats you have performed, but...the reports, along with the body count...everything adds up. Sixty-two men. That is how many you took down. You wounded many more, and you were even able to survive a direct assault from a Flesh Golem for long enough to be able to land a decisive blow despite being heavily wounded. To call you prodigious would be an understatement. And your steed, your confidant, Aurelius... Never cowering once, and always at the side of your master, no matter the odds. You may have the body of an animal, but within you lies the soul of a warrior. Heraldus, I raise you to Knighthood. Your title is, the Slayer. Aurelius, I appoint you as his squire, and grant you the title of Mannherd. Heraldus, is there anything that you would like to say?" He asks, draping a heraldic cloak and brass brooch depicting the Drachenheim coat of arms, a dragon grasping a sword with it's feet, over the proud Aurelius.
1242
1243"Only that I am thankful to have such capable allies. If not for them, I would be dead."
1244
1245Lord Joachim laughs at this, and nods in approval, motioning for him that he was free to join his allies on the other side of the room. The rest of the ceremony went on smoothly, with everyone involved in the siege recieving some kind of commendation or the other. They were not knighted, however. Petros and Hedda were in the infirmary, so the Captain, who's name was revealed to be Noah Krauss, held onto their awards for them and thanked him in their stead.
1246
1247Although he was the guest of honor, Heraldus slipped away from the crowd at the celebratory party in the ballroom, instead leaning on the balcony and staring at the moon, a shimmering white crescent illuminating the clouds below it. The clouds had made a sort of funnel, as if to focus the moonlight onto him. His wounds had been mended, though the scars still remained, a reminder of that day. He touches the scar going down his left eye, deep in thought. He would never again look at the battlefield the same way. Even though the eye itself wasn't damaged, his perspective had shifted.
1248
1249"Sixty two sons and daughters...they're never going back home...they didn't even get a burial. Burnt into ash. At the very least, I could put that...that...thing, out of it's misery... It was so afraid..." He mumbles, the tears beginning to stream down his face. "Am I no better than the person that would do that to a living being? Brought into this world only to cause suffering and to suffer... And here I am, pained by the very pain I sowed myself. I chose this path. That thing didn't have a choice. Which one of us is truly the monster, I wonder...?"
1250
1251"...It depends on where you look at it from." A cold hand touches his shoulder gently. "In the end, I find that monster...hero...good...bad...Those are just labels with no meaning. There is order, and there is chaos. There is justice, and there is injustice. Today, you were a blade of justice, stopping the injustices that the enemy came to commit, even if inadvertently."
1252
1253"Gwyneth?!-...no, I'm sorry, I thought you were someoneone else." Heraldus drys his tears on his sleeve, turning to face the visitor. The man standing before him looked and sounded a lot like Gwyneth, it was true, but the aura of sorrow clinging to him was almost palpable. Cloaked in black and silver, his armor blackened. It was none other than Sir Darthaniel.
1254
1255"Gwy-" Darthaniel begins in surprise, but clears his throat and levels his tone. "I see. This...Gwyneth. Is she someone you're close to?"
1256
1257"Yeah. She was one of the people who helped raise me, back where I'm from. I'm Heraldus, by the way. Nice to meet you."
1258
1259"I am Darthaniel. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I see that your conscience weighs heavily upon you?" He asks gently.
1260
1261"Yeah. I had never killed someone before today, and I...I knew it wasn't going to be pretty, but...I wasn't expecting to see the things that I've seen today. Even though I was in a trance on the battlefield, like I was some kind of cornered animal, I can still remember everything...It was a forest of gore, shrouded in red mists. And the smell...But I cut them down without any mercy. I was a coward. I was only trying to save my own skin. I had even forgotten about Aurelius, despite him saving me from countless would-be fatal blows. And yet, here it is now, I'm supposed to call myself a knight...?"
1262
1263Darthaniel thinks on these things for a moment. "No, for you to call yourself anything other than a knight would be lying to yourself. What you posess, Heraldus, is humility and virtue. Those two things alone make you more qualified to be a knight than the bulk of these coddled sons and daughters of noblemen. Yes, you may make mistakes. You WILL do things that you are not proud of, but when you do, tell yourself this: 'I am Heraldus Viridius.' See your wrongs, and right them. Value every drop of blood you spill, but spill it freely if need be. If you must kill, do it without hesitation, in as few strokes as possible. I'm sorry that this of all things is your introduction into knighthood, but...I believe that overcoming these mental hurdles will make you all the stronger. Oh my...I had stopped here to gaze at the moon before I left, but I find myself short on time. When I return from the tasks I have set out to accomplish, we will meet again. Just enjoy the view twice as much, for me." Darthaniel grins, before putting his helmet on and stalking away.
1264
1265Heraldus was in awe at the man. His mood had instantly lightened, and he stares up at the moon once more. At the back of his mind, he wondered why the phases of the moon changed. Why couldn't it always be a full moon? Where does the rest of it go?
1266
1267"Ah, and I wondered where the guest of honor went! Is something the matter? Are the festivities not to your liking?" A calm and deep female voice speaks out behind him. He stares up at the moon as he replies.
1268
1269"No...It's not that. I just didn't want to bring the mood down. Wouldn't make me a very good guest."
1270
1271"Hmm? The mood? Is something bothering you?" Her footsteps approach him, stopping at a respectful distance.
1272
1273"...Yeah. Why is it that...if I was to stab a man on the streets, I would be punished for it, but if I was to do the same to a man on a battlefield, I receive praise for it?"
1274
1275"Why, indeed...if you were to ask one thousand people, you would get one thousand different answers."
1276
1277"Then, what's your answer?"
1278
1279"Your actions have benefitted your allies."
1280
1281"Do you think that...I should have... I don't know..."
1282
1283"You were on a battlefield. Your actions were just, regardless of the motives behind them. Through your own strength and perseverence, you returned alive. As a warrior, that is admirable."
1284
1285"But as a human being?"
1286
1287"Only the Lord can pass judgement on such matters. But if it helps, I feel that you did the right thing, given the path you chose to walk."
1288
1289"It does help, thank you-..." Heraldus turns, only to see the Archbishop standing behind him in her priestly cloak, smiling. He was at a loss for words. Though she was shorter than him, she seemed to loom over him, with her long limbs and dignified posture. Her eyes were lavender and her hair was silver with hints of red, making it a light shade of pink. Her skin was tan, and her sharp, white upper canines protruded ever so slightly, borderline fangs. Her ears marked her as someone of elven descent, though Heraldus in his admittently short time hadn't seen one that looked quite like her. If anything, she seemed more like a vampire, or one of the Strigoi that Caius told him about.
1290
1291"Are you quite alright, Sir Viridius?" She teases, a smug smile creeping up on her lips.
1292
1293"I was just a bit surprised, is all. I wasn't...I wasn't expecting the Archbishop to come looking for me." He manages through his blushing. He hadn't lied, though that was only half of his shock. He suddenly remembers his manners and kneels, bowing his head.
1294
1295"Please, please, rise. At the moment, I am Cici Draculesti. What a pleasure it is to meet you in person! For someone so young, you certainly are imposing, my, my. Do you mind if I...?" She steps forward, tentatively reaching towards his face.
1296
1297"Uh...yeah." He presents his face, nervous and unsure of what she was implying.
1298
1299She gently holds his chin, turning his head this way and that, examining his face and touching his scar. With her other hand, she reaches into her cloak and pulls out a handkerchief, scented with roses, and begins to wipe his cheeks, eyes, and forehead before dragging it across his lips gently. She places it in the confused boy's hand, before turning coyly away and glancing sidelong at him. "I'd love to hear about your side of the story sometime...In three days, I have a free day. Why not come and visit me? Until then, though, the Archbishop has some things she needs to see to. Cici sends her regards." She slowly grins a fanged grin, before striding off. Her face straightens as soon as she exits the balcony, returning to her usual serious demeanor in the blink of an eye.
1300
1301"What did she mean by this..." Heraldus stares down at the kerchief. It was a mostly alien gesture to him... It wasn't exactly the same way his mother used to wipe his face. Glancing shiftily at his surroundings, he pockets it. He didn't know what it meant, but for some reason it still made him feel shy. He ponders for a while before composing himself and returning inside.
1302
1303"Hmm? Heraldus, are you wearing perfume? It's a nice scent but...it doesn't really suit you." Caius grins knowingly at him, handing him a glass of an orange liquid.
1304
1305"No, some lady gave me her kerchief-bwbwbwbrrr... Why do people drink things like this?!" Heraldus shudders after downing the whiskey.
1306
1307"Eh, it's an acquired taste. But mainly to get buzzed. But, I'm impressed...I thought you slipped away to sulk, not put the moves on the ladies!" He laughs.
1308
1309"I didn't 'put the moves' on anyone. We talked and she gave it to me after wiping my face in a weird way."
1310
1311"Who is this mystery woman, anyways?"
1312
1313"Not telling."
1314
1315"Ohohoho..." Caius' grin grows even wider. "So it's like THAT, huh? Well, anyways, you missed Aurelius getting shitfaced and giving some despot's speech before forcing some old lady to dance with him. Ah, there he is now, actually." Caius jerks his head towards the goat, who was snoring on the lap of a peaceful noblewoman in her late forties. She seemed kind of enamored with his fleece, from how she was running her fingers through it.
1316
1317"Wait, he got drunk? Who gave him alcohol? It gives him bloat...that poor lady..." Heraldus shakes his head sadly. The woman was going to hear the trumpets sound anytime now.
1318
1319"It was actually Lord Joachim, who also had a bit too much to drink tonight...guy was having fun, but you could see how stressful his life was just by looking in his eyes. When I was little, I wanted to be a king, but after I realized all the shit they had to go through...nah, I'd rather stay a free man."
1320
1321"Yeah, doesn't seem like they have much time to themselves, even in times of peace. Because they have to make sure that things are running properly."
1322
1323"Right. Oh and, don't look behind you-damn it man, I said don't!"
1324
1325The same tribeswoman that had made a routine of chasing Heraldus around the city was right behind him, and he had made eye contact with her. They both froze up for a moment, the excitement visibly building up on her face and the dread building on Heraldus'. He heel turned and began to part his way through the crowd, not quite running but trying his best to escape the crazy woman. She, meanwhile, charged through the crowds, howling. He glanced back, saw her, and sprinted off with a look of pure terror on his face.
1326
1327"Heraldus! Wait! I'm sorry Heraldus! Please, don't run! Heraldus!" She began to chase after him, click clacking in heels. Many women wondered how she was able to muster such speed in shoes like those. She was clearly an expert at it.
1328
1329That night, the city was ablaze with the sounds of festivities, cheering, and a vixen in pursuit of her prey. Children slept peacefully, and thieves continued their shady dealings with varying degrees of success. All in all, a good night.
1330
1331CHAPTER 6
1332
1333~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1334
1335
1336Heraldus stands upright, the tip of his greatsword resting in front of him on the ground. The swordarm's shoulder and leg led, and his anchors planted him firmly in place. Sir Albert stands on the opposite side of the dueling field, estoc raised as if in a gesture of prayer. His eyes, which were normally wide and smiling, were narrow and calculating. Yet, on his lips was a preoccupied smile. He was enjoying this.
1337
1338"Hmm...That's a Northman's style, isn't it?" Albert continues to study Heraldus with interest, though his question was directed at Caius.
1339
1340"Yeah. Learned it from the man who taught me to use a sword. Added a bit of personal touches too, before I passed it down." Caius waves away that question nonchalantly from his seat under a tree. He puffs on his pipe, blowing a steady stream of fragrant black smoke.
1341
1342"I see. Barely any openings, and any of the few that I try to exploit... I'm going to get punished hard, is that it?"
1343
1344"Generally speakin', yeah." Caius shrugs. "Kick 'is ass real good, alright Heraldus?"
1345
1346"I'm sure as hell gonna try, at least." Heraldus grins. "Don't hold back on me, alright? If I win, I want it to be from my own strength."
1347
1348"Well, if you want to lose that badly...en garde!" Albert laughs, tucking his sword into a high stance and charging Heraldus. The boy stands his ground, though, and the bluff falls through as Albert panics and dodges out of the way of an attack he sensed coming...but Heraldus had just shifted his weight slightly. The boy stares in awe at the man's reflexes before remembering that he was in the middle of a duel.
1349
1350Heraldus charges forward with a flurry of stabs, each one of them deftly avoided or sidestepped. But whenever Albert tried to riposte, he found himself in a bind with the young warrior. It was as if that massive sword of his was made of water; it flowed, it adapted. Even if Albert was able to get inside of his guard, he would find himself caught on the crossguard, or knocked away with a kick. At one point, Heraldus even grabbed him by the arm as he was thrusting and flipped him, though he was able to scramble away before he could get the point. It did put his shoulder out of place, though.
1351
1352Heraldus himself was frustrated, though. The man was dodging everything, and he attacked like lightning striking a tree. He was too strong to have his guard crushed, and ended up being like a dam in a stream. If he went in for a grapple, the man either slipped out or forced him back. When his hands did connect, though...to Heraldus' surprise, they were around equal in raw strength. The Slayer grinds his teeth, but tries his best to stay focused. Unbeknownst to the two, though to the amusement of Caius, a crowd of civilians had gathered to furtively watch the duel.
1353
1354Albert notices his frustration, and a sly grin creeps across his face. Heraldus was getting more and more reckless. Maybe what he needed was a little push... and so, he focused on avoiding every single thing Heraldus threw at him, taunting and refusing to attack. Something happened just as Heraldus was at his breaking point, though, that made him raise his eyebrow. The boy stopped his onslaught, dropped his guard, and took a deep breath. Normally, Albert would exploit something like that, but he hesitated, because he believed it to be a bluff. Heraldus relaxedly and slowly enters into a low stance, a cold determination burning in his eyes. The two began to strafe around, looking for weaknesses...When, out of nowhere, Heraldus pounces at him. He had no openings, and yet the boy still attacked. But it made him stumble back and flinch, and that was all Heraldus needed to point his blade at his throat. Albert chuckles, gesturing with his eyes at his own blade, pointed at Heraldus' throat. It was a draw.
1355
1356"Had we been fighting to kill...I probably would not have been walking out of this alive." Albert humbly concedes. "But, since this is a duel, this is a draw. I am impressed." Albert lowers his blade and offers Heraldus his left hand. They bump shoulders, smiles on their faces.
1357
1358"I'm pretty sure I was dead there too, sir. Did you like my 'shock tactics'? I notice I make a lot of mistakes when I'm afraid, so I thought, maybe if I can get you scared, I can get YOU to make a mistake..." Heraldus explains. "Err...It's kind of dumb, I know..."
1359
1360Albert stares amazedly at Caius, who shrugs and smiles. He returns his gaze to the young swordsman. "That isn't dumb at all. In fact, I was doing something similar; I was trying to get you angry. But apparently, you aren't the type to freak out when you're mad...which explains how you survived at the siege the other day. I thought you were in a rage."
1361
1362"I kind of was, but it's like...everything gets clearer and slows down a bit. I don't move any faster, I don't think. I can just...notice things better. And bleed slower."
1363
1364"So, what made you pounce?"
1365
1366"I was waiting for you to have your guard at the strongest. I'd have to be either an idiot or a madman to close the gap at that time. Which is probably why it worked."
1367
1368"Yeah, cause if it failed, you'd have been skewered. I wouldn't put my faith in gambles like that unless I had to, if I was you...but still, nicely done. You really are a prodigy."
1369
1370"I don't really know what that means, but thank you." Heraldus bows thankfully. The man laughs.
1371
1372"Well, this was a fun diversion, but if you'll excuse me now, I have some things I must attend to. Thank you for humoring me. And, good luck with the crowd." Sir Albert grins, jerking his head towards the group of excited civillians before putting on his plumed helmet and striding away. He was in a different set of armor than usual, so nobody recognized him and he was able to slip away.
1373
1374"Hey, kid. When're you gonna get some new clothes? I'm starting to get pissed off seeing you wash the exact same outfit over and over again." Ma'm had her arms folded as Heraldus was kneeling and scrubbing his clothes in a washtub.
1375
1376"I mean, these are still fine though. I sewed up all the holes." Heraldus shrugs.
1377
1378"Look kid, there's being frugal, and then there's bein' a tightass. Besides, what'll the ladies say when they see you in the same clothes every day?"
1379
1380"Why does that matter?" Heraldus raises an eyebrow.
1381
1382"...Okay, what about the fellas then?"
1383
1384"I don't care what they have to say if it isn't important."
1385
1386"You know...you're kind of a daft one, but I can actually understand where you're comin' from here. But, look...ye actual twat. Out here? In the city? Clothes send a message about who ya are to the others. It's very important that you dress yerself properly, yeah? After all...ain't you a knight? It looks bad on the one who knighted ya if you don't carry yahself high enough."
1387
1388"...I didn't think about that. But I dunno what sort of stuff to wear."
1389
1390"Just wear whatever ya think looks nice. Course, if ya look like a wanker, ya'll get treated like one, but better to be a well dressed jester than a king in rags. By the way, have ye been ampin' up yer trainin'?" The half-dwarf sounded slightly impressed.
1391
1392"Yeah, why?"
1393
1394"Mmm...No reason. Keep it up." She slaps him on the rear after staring for a moment, walking away laughing.
1395
1396Heraldus chuckles and finishes his washing. Even after being washed so many times, though, it's burgundy tinge still haunted him...maybe it would be for the best if he really did find some new duds. After ironing them by the bonfire, he grabs his sword and heads out for the town.
1397
1398"I see, in the market for new clothes, are you...?" A mothman dressed in colorful, floral robes tilts his head curiously as he speaks in his emotionless, buzzing, low tone. His giant, beady eyes studied the young knight, darting here and there at high speeds, almost spinning an invisible web with it's movements. His fluffy brown fur accentuated his clothes, giving them a dignified air that was only betrayed by the fact that he appeared to have been nibbling at his collar for a snack. He was around five feet tall and very jolly and large. He had an additional sleeve on each side for his other two arms; he was a biped, but still retained most insect traits.
1399
1400Heraldus was slightly terrified by the strange creature. He had only ever seen them in passing during the nighttime, and because of the nighttime lighting he never got to see one in such detail. "Y-yes. I was knighted, so I need knight clothes...that I can move in. And I want them to last a while."
1401
1402"Hmm...yes, I can do this. Adventurer's style clothes...scale them up... make them fancy...so many numbers...add those numbers... spin those fabrics..." The mothman wrings his hands thoughtfully as he rambles on. Eventually, something occurs to him. He looks up at Heraldus. "What flavor?"
1403
1404"...Flavor? I suppose I'm partial to spicy and savory myself..." Heraldus was completely confused. That confusion turned into a flash of internal terror as the moth grins his toothy grin, his teeth like sharp, serrated needles.
1405
1406"You have good taste. I will make you a meal...no, sorry, a suit, fit for a knight of culture such as yourself."
1407
1408"Don't you have something already made?"
1409
1410"Boy. Sir. You come into MY store, MY domain, asking me for something as low quality as these simple display pieces? These mere morsels? I would rather fly into Charon's Lantern than to serve those to a customer. Moreso, a knight. I would be a disgrace to mercers and tailors everywhere; no, you will wait, and you will have the best quality. Expect your clothes to be ready...by sundown."
1411
1412"Are you sure you can have them ready so quickly? If it's this important to you, I can wait for them."
1413
1414"Brother. Sir. Do you doubt me? These arms of mine? I am wounded, nay, I am zapped, pardon my morbid language."
1415
1416"I didn't mean it like that."
1417
1418"I know. What I said was in jest."
1419
1420"...Oh, it was kind of hard to tell..."
1421
1422"I understand. That's part of the fun. Worry not, you will have your clothes, and you shan't regret coming to me." It salutes by crossing all four of it's arms across it's chest mechanically.
1423
1424"How much is it?"
1425
1426"The payment comes after the product is delivered. I estimate a sum of twenty silver pieces."
1427
1428"I wonder if that's a lot..." Heraldus gazes up thoughtfully.
1429
1430"Relativity, sir knight. Relativity."
1431
1432"Oh. And your name?"
1433
1434"Hildebrand Gespinst. Honored to meet you."
1435
1436"I'm Heraldus Viridius. Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I do believe that I have become prey once more." The knight shook the moth's right hands before striding out of the door, looking at something, and bolting off in the opposite direction. A manic and frenzied woman streaks past the shop, laughing and snarling after poor Heraldus.
1437
1438"Ah, it seems Osmet has found her quarry once more..." The moth chuckles a gravelly chuckle. "These humans amuse me. It's moments like this that make me glad to be alive; the simple diversions."
1439
1440"Ah-ha! This time, you can't escape! I have you cornered!" Osmet slaps her hands against the wall that Heraldus' back was against. They were in an alley. "Pucker up." She leans in for a kiss, her eyes closed.
1441
1442"Not today." Heraldus grabs her by the shoulders and forces her down onto her knees, leaping over the stunned woman. Why was her mouth open like that, the boy wonders as he trots off.
1443
1444"Wait! Please. I just want to talk...I won't do anything to you..."
1445
1446Heraldus stops at the end of the alley. "You DO realize you just tried to force yourself onto me, right?"
1447
1448"Oh, don't act like you didn't want it..."
1449
1450"...Who's acting?" Heraldus asks coldly.
1451
1452"Gah-!" She clutches her chest and sinks even further down, feeling defeated. "...I failed. I feel like a fool. I don't have any use now. I'll die."
1453
1454"What? You don't have to die just because I didn't give into your advances."
1455
1456"I know a good man when I see him...and the bulk of them, in this city, are married already. Since I was a child, I only wanted two things; to be a warrior, and to be a wife. But I let my career as a warrior distract me for too long, and now...I'm not as desirable as those maidens...nobody wants me for anything more than a quick lay now..."
1457
1458"I'm sure there's people who want to be with you. I'm just not one of them." Heraldus shrugs, leaning against the wall with his arms folded to talk to her.
1459
1460"Why not, though? Didn't you say I was pretty?" She had a hurt look in her eyes.
1461
1462"Physically, yes. But as a person...I don't like the way you do things. Deceptive. Inconsistent. Guileful. You're like a fox trying to steal food from a trap. My mother warned me about women like you, and my own eyes confirmed her warnings to carry some weight." The boy's eyes narrow on her, seeming to peer through her very soul.
1463
1464"W-what do you mean?"
1465
1466"Consider this... Why did you start trying to follow me around to begin with?"
1467
1468"Because you were cute and well-mannered."
1469
1470"And therein lies your problem."
1471
1472"Huh?"
1473
1474"You chased me because I was attractive to you, not because you loved me. If you truly loved me, you'd have stood a chance. But you don't, and youd didn't. You love what I represent to you; a 'good husband'."
1475
1476"But I love you now!"
1477
1478"If you really loved me...you wouldn't be trying to violate me, and you'd consider how I feel. Goodbye, lady."
1479
1480"...Osmet. It's Osmet..." She was racked with guilt and sorrow, and began to sob into her hands. Heraldus stares gravely at her before turning to leave. But, he couldn't just leave her there like that. He hesitated, and turned back around.
1481
1482"I can't do this. One part of me is telling me to walk away, but... I'm sorry for driving you to this point. While I won't be your husband, I can at least help you find one. It'll take time though."
1483
1484"At this point, I only want you..."
1485
1486"Then there's nothing more I can do for you. Goodbye." Heraldus furls his cloak tighter about himself and stalks off. A tear streams down his face as his back is turned. He wished he could just go ahead and give her what she wanted, but that wouldn't be helping her. She deserved more than him. He didn't like her, but he didn't bear ill will to her past that. She was very pretty, and didn't seem to be a bad person; just a deceptive one. He felt bad for bringing her to that state.
1487
1488He flicks the tear to the roadside and continues on his way. On the main road, he's stopped by one of Lord Joachim's heralds.
1489
1490"Sir Slayer, Milord would like to meet with you. He has an important task for you."
1491
1492"Lead the way."
1493
1494He was lead to the tall fortress at the center of the citadel. Lord Joachim stood at the door of the tower, arms behind him in a parade rest and his sword at his hip. Shortly after, three more heralds returned. With them was a tall strigoi man, gangly and refined and wearing the garb of a warpriest. There was also a human in the shadowy garb of the Night Rangers, with their eyes being the only thing showing through her gear. At least, it had human proportions. When she spoke, though, she revealed herself to be a woman. Albeit, one with a deep voice. Finally, there was the familiar stout form of Ma'm.
1495
1496"Good. You are all here. I've gathered you all together because I have a mission for you. Our allies in the far south, the seafaring nation of Ostia, are currently locked in a battle of attrition with invaders from the depths themselves. Because of this, though, they cannot afford to focus their attention on the rural communities and their needs. This void of attention has allowed the Cult of Tiamat to rise once more, and it's members are beginning to terrorize the citizenry. Your job is to at least stall that cult for long enough for the Ostian authorities to focus their attentions on that menace. Ideally, though, you will crush that cult. Raze it, down to the foundations. Send them into the flaming pit they belong in. Are there any objections or questions?"
1497
1498Heraldus raises his hand hesitantly. The duke turns his attention to him patiently. "Err...out of curiosity, milord, why send me? Was there nobody else?"
1499
1500"Ah, a good question. My answer to that is, on a whim. You amuse me, and I look forward to the story you will tell when you return. But doubly because of my faith in your ability."
1501
1502"Thank you, milord." Heraldus folds his arm aross his chest and bows.
1503
1504"If there are no further questions? Then, excuse me. I have a matter I must attend to." The Duke salutes before heading up the steps, leaving the group to converse amongst each other.
1505
1506"...So, you're that Heraldus guy, huh? I was expecting someone a bit more...fancy. You as strong as you look, or is that oversized knife for show?"
1507
1508"I don't know how to answer that."
1509
1510"Least you're honest. You don't put on airs. You and I will get along just fine, I'm thinking. Maybe a bit better than fine...no?"
1511
1512"Please stop teasin' the poor boy, Simone." Ma'm sighs.
1513
1514"Why, though? Don't you get to do that all the time, Elaine?"
1515
1516"Wait, your name wasn't Ma'm?" Heraldus tilts his head. The strigoi, who was hitherto dead silent, erupts in a deep laughter, and the ranger looks at him in disbelief.
1517
1518"Don't start gettin' daft on me now, boy. Course it wasn't. But we ain't on a first-name basis."
1519
1520"But...you call me Heraldus instead of Viridius if that's the case."
1521
1522"That's-well..." The dwarfborn woman began to tinge with pink. "It don't apply to yer superiors."
1523
1524"Wait, superior? Aren't you in a different branch from him?" Simone raises an eyebrow.
1525
1526"He did not know that until now, and you could get that from the context. Damn shrew, all ya had to do was shut it!"
1527
1528"...Well, it doesn't make a difference to me. Oh, and it's nice to meet you...Father? Brother? Sir?" Heraldus shrugs, turning to face the strigoi and extending his hand.
1529
1530"I am Vladmir. You may call me, Vladmir. Or Vlad. By the way, the word you were looking for was, Reverend." He smiles helpfully.
1531
1532"Ah, thank you, Vlad. But I gotta ask...how far is this 'Ostia' place? A couple of weeks?"
1533
1534"Haven't you ever read a map, Heraldus?" Simone eyes him curiously.
1535
1536"Nope. Saw one in passing, but I'd imagine lookin' at it isn't exactly the same as readin' it."
1537
1538"Well, we'll have plenty of time for me to show you how, on the road. But that does bring up a good point...that's a month of travel by horseback...on foot, I'd imagine it's much longer. Because of the distance, too, we can't just hop into a portal or anything. No way in hell we can carry that many provisions, too. We'll travel light. Can you at least hunt, Herry?"
1539
1540"Yeah, I'm pretty decent at that. Spent a lot of time in the forest near my home, after all."
1541
1542"H-...Herry?" Elaine gives Simone a confused look.
1543
1544"Yeah, it's my little pet name for him now. So, Herr, now that we've figured out those details...what comes next?" Simone gestures to him expectantly. She seemed like she already had her answer. She was just testing him. Vlad was amused.
1545
1546"We decide on when to leave. Since it's such an urgent issue, tomorrow at dawn. We can meet at the gate. I have some errands I need to finish." Heraldus explains, deep in thought. Simone nods, impressed.
1547
1548"Good, you can keep it together. Mind if I tag along, though? I knew these other two for a while now, but a new face is always interesting to see."
1549
1550"Sure. Anyone else want to come with?" Heraldus looks at the other members of their party. Simone was slightly peeved at that.
1551
1552"Nah, you run along now, before ya forget." Elaine shrugs.
1553
1554"I have some errands I must attend to myself, so I will bid you adieu for now." Vlad bows, turning to leave.
1555
1556Heraldus shrugs and begins to walk. Simone insisted on hooking her arms in his, for reasons Heraldus did not comprehend.
1557
1558"Here comes Sir Slayer! And who's this with him? A ladyfriend perhaps?" Hildebrand greets the two in as scandalous a tone as he could manage. Simone's face was still covered up to her nose by her scarf and facemask, but she had her hood down, displaying her sharp short bob cut.
1559
1560"I guess so." Heraldus shrugs. "Though, more importantly, are they ready?"
1561
1562"Some clothes are more important than me? You wound me, Heraldus..." Simone gives him sad pouty eyes.
1563
1564"Unless you need something urgently that I can help with, the task at hand comes first." Heraldus explains cooly. "I didn't mean to offend."
1565
1566She smiles with her eyes. "I was only kidding, but that's a good answer. Don't mind me, I'm just tagging along."
1567
1568"Well, that aside for the moment, that which you've requested are done. Behold, it's earthen tones and fiery hues! Witness it's vibrant colors! Feel the smooth texture! This, my friend, is adornment fit for a ruler! I call it, Monarch." The mothman gestures to a colorful set of robes and breeches with sleeves and pants that flowed like the wings of a butterfly. The patterns, too, resembled the insect that makes up it's namesake, with black trim and white spots. Heraldus excitedly tries it on. The end result was him looking like a good-natured dandy more than some sort of nobility, but it was better than the washed out uniform he had.
1569
1570"Woah, that's a very...bold set of duds you've got on there..." Simone tries and fails to hold back her laughter, exploding into a knee-slapping fit.
1571
1572"As they say at the end of the rainbow, Audacious Fortune In Vat. When one stands out, one ends up attracting all sorts of luck and gazes to oneself. It's like reaching into the fortune for yourself instead of waiting for it to come to you. Wear those clothes boldly and proudly! Parade them around like the work of art they are! Everything you do, do gracefully and stylishly, and never try to wear someone else's clothes. They may fit you, but they don't necessarily suit you, if you catch my drift."
1573
1574"Ah, right, cause different body shapes, right?" Heraldus asks helpfully, chuckling at Simone who was having a laughing fit.
1575
1576"Something of the sort, anyways." Hildebrand winks, before directing his focus to Simone. "And you, milady? Is there any way that I can be of service?"
1577
1578"No, that's okay, thank you. Fancy clothes aren't really...me."
1579
1580"If you ever change your mind, then, you know where to find me- this won't do at all...such an oversight on my part...woe is me, sparks upon my soul... Heraldus, you must remove that cloak. Too many holes in it. Why didn't I notice this sooner?! It won't protect you from the elements like that. You must allow me to remedy that. Though, I must say, I quite like that gradient...what gave it that beautiful edge detailing?" He asks, taking the cloak from Heraldus and immediately getting to work on patching and sewing.
1581
1582"Mud, blood, and a lot of lye. But the stains refuse to leave. The mud only blends in further, though at least it isn't crusty anymore."
1583
1584"A warrior's cloak...but you know, that's beautiful in it's own way too."
1585
1586"But...this is proof of all the lives I cut short...What's beautiful about that? They came from somewhere, just like me! And their bodies don't even return home...who can fully mourn them, if they don't even know for sure if they're dead?"
1587
1588"As opposed to them wearing your proof? As opposed to your own life being taken? As opposed to your own body being burned? The moment one takes up arms, one's life is but a bargaining chip. And in the end, it is the House that profits despite the gains and losses of either player. Such is the way of the world. Once you have picked up your sword, you can only cleave your way forward, else lay the blade to rest. No, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You survived at the cost of the blood of your enemies. A fair trade."
1589
1590"You're right...I probably shouldn't worry too much about this. But I thank you. How much will that come to?"
1591
1592
1593"20 gold. Should be enough to cover the materials for such a high quality job. As for your cloak repair, that's free. Stop by any time."
1594
1595"Alright. I'll be going, then. I have one more place to go."
1596
1597Heraldus and Simone stood outside of the gates of the Draculesti manor. Dark stone walls and black iron fences surrounded the property, with a path leading into a stone courtyard with various somber plants growing in the gardens; roses, wolfsbane, wisteria, marigolds. Most of the trees were dark woods meant to match the darkness of the stones. Willows, mahogany and the like. Carvings of angels sat on the walls, poised as if to welcome honored guests and strike down insolent intruders. But the strangest part of that ominous place was definitely the bell tower in that rose from the center of that building. Heraldus wonders what purpose it serves as he stands outside of the gate. Simone is noticeably nervous to the point of fidgeting.
1598
1599"...On second thought, I'm going to wait out here. You go on ahead." Simone eventually gives up trying to muster her courage to enter, preferring to watch from a bench across the street. Heraldus raises an eyebrow before shrugging and knocking at the gate using the knocker hanging out of the tongue of the steel serpent that coiled around the gate's bars. A heavy mist rolls in, inside of the gate. As it begins to part, a short man in eastern clothing with two adult-sized living dolls flanking him comes into focus. He is a pale man, and his proportions and fangs mark him as a strigoi. He had a peaceful smile on his face, though, disturbingly, his eyes appear to have been heavily burnt in the past. He kept them closed.
1600
1601The dolls, on the other hand, were so lifelike that they could easily be mistaken for being his beautiful daughters. They did indeed share many features with him, though what set them apart from a regular living being was their stiff movement, the fact that you could see their joints, and the faint but rhythmic ticking and pumping noise coming from each of them. Their movements seemed to coordinate uncannily with that of their master's, yet they also appeared to have wills of their own. They displayed curiosity at Heraldus and his strange clothes, staring unblinkingly at them and scanning them. They were also dressed in eastern garb, and wore decorative hairpins on opposite sides. Their eyes were also exaggeratedly large, though they were sharp. Their pupils were huge, but their facial features worked with it so that they were still beautiful to behold.
1602
1603"Good evening, Sir Slayer." The burnt-man bows respectfully along with his dolls.
1604
1605"Good evening-...how do you know who I am if you had your eyes closed?"
1606
1607"Just because I am not looking at you does not mean that I cannot see you," He muses cryptically.
1608
1609"Err...I'm not quite sure I understand..." Heraldus scratches his head.
1610
1611"There is more to a person than meets the eye. Milady knows this, and so she told me to expect you. Though, are you not a day early? Come, let us guide you inside." The strange man holds the gate open.
1612
1613"Thank you. Is she here right now?" Heraldus gave up on trying to understand that for the moment.
1614
1615"No, at the moment she has left on a mission, the details of which I am not at liberty to disclose."
1616
1617"Oh, okay. I came here because I needed to tell her that I wouldn't be able to come by tomorrow; Lord Joachim has a task for me, and I will be gone for a long time. I leave at dawn."
1618
1619"Ah, I understand. Still, at least let me pour you some tea before you go on your way."
1620
1621
1622The dolls affirm this with their mirrorlike eyes, shifting their pupils to gaze into Heraldus'. He felt primal fear rise up inside of him at that, but he stuffed it back down.
1623
1624"Thank you. I appreciate it..." He nods, glancing at the dolls. One cracked the beginning of a smile; the slightest movement of her painted lips. Heraldus pondered what type of smile it was as he was led inside of the dimly lit mansion and seated on a couch. The dolls flanked and leaned on him as if to keep him company as their master prepared the tea.
1625
1626"Sister, have you noticed that the closer to nature something is, the more beautiful people think of it as?" One called from his left shoulder to the one on the right, in a toneless but youthful voice.
1627
1628"I have. Why do you think that is?" A similar voice asks.
1629
1630"I do not have enough information for that. But do you know what else is beautiful? Symmetry."
1631
1632"Nature...grows symmetrically, does it not?"
1633
1634"Most of the time. Maybe that is why nature is beautiful?"
1635
1636"Perhaps. Sir Slayer, what do you think?"
1637
1638"I think color has a lot to do with it. Bright and similar colors look pretty. But if it's too chaotic, it begins to look bad, I think."
1639
1640"Is that not symmetry as well, in a way? But...you say...chaotic looks bad...then, by that metric, order looks good, right?"
1641
1642"I think so, at least. I think it depends on who's looking at it."
1643
1644"I see. It is true, there are many different answers, but perhaps the truth is in what they have in common. But...is beauty always good?"
1645
1646"Beauty itself is good, but something bad can look beautiful." Heraldus muses, his mind drifting back to Osmet.
1647
1648"If it has a good thing, then, is it really bad?"
1649
1650"Bad is when something does more harm than good. If it does more harm than it heals with it's beauty, it is bad."
1651
1652"Good...bad...what about justice? Is justice half good and half bad?"
1653
1654"Justice doesn't exist on that scale. Justice is just...something bad gets punished and something good gets rewarded. It's kind of next to it though. But...I'm not sure..."
1655
1656"It makes sense. It is likely to be the truth. But, in other words...Justice is moral or karmic cause and effect?"
1657
1658"I think so on the moral part, but what's karmic?"
1659
1660"It means, 'pertaining to the force of karma'. Karma is what you describe to be Justice, but carried out by the universe or by God. But yet, divine judgement can actually go against karma. A person doing more good than harm can do the wrong thing to offend him, and they risk incurring his wrath if they do so, even if everything else they have done is good. But, is that an injustice?"
1661
1662"No, because that type of justice takes precedence over...Karma, as you call it."
1663
1664"Why does it?"
1665
1666"The universe could be destroyed and remade in an instant by him. He makes the rules, so he gets to choose what reality exists."
1667
1668"Because he is that powerful, he is just?"
1669
1670"No, he is just because despite his immeasurable power, he follows his own rules. It's just that making him angry is enough of a punishable offence, the cause, that his wrath is the effect. He follows his own rules. At least, this is from what I remember from the holy books..."
1671
1672"...So basically, anyone punished by him, is punished because he provoked it?"
1673
1674"Yeah."
1675
1676"Then...why do bad things happen to people who have not provoked it?" The doll's eyes shift towards the kitchen where her master was. This was the one that had smiled earlier. They had been alternating speaking.
1677
1678"...I haven't figured that one out yet. I'm sorry. It's one thing I've been asking myself from the very beginning. I'm sure there's a reason, but..." Heraldus was on the verge of tears after thinking about that. The flesh golem...
1679
1680The one that smiled rests her head on his shoulder, her face now in a...mechanical imitation of a frown, wrapping a single arm around him in an attempt to comfort him. "Do not worry about that any further."
1681
1682At that moment, the strigoi returns with a cup of tea that smelt strongly of aromatic herbs. He rests it down, unable to stifle his creeping smile. "I see you are getting along quite well with the Dolls. That one that currently has her arm on your chest is Nori, and the other one is Jitsu. What are your thoughts on them?"
1683
1684"So they really are d-...wait, how do you know she has her arm on me? Your eyes are closed."
1685
1686"It was more of a suspicion, one you just confirmed might I add. I can hear the location of every part of their bodies. Do you hear the ticking and pulsing? That is how. It sends vibrations...it makes a kind of aura, almost."
1687
1688"Oh. I was wondering if you were a seer for a moment there."
1689
1690"What more is a seer than one who sees, after all?" He shrugs.
1691
1692"Well, that aside... I think they're nice people. Your...daughters, I mean. But may I ask what your name is?"
1693
1694"My daughters...it is funny...even though I created them, I never quite realized that these...these are my children. My name is Kori. I am...well, what is the word for it in this language...psychologist? Exorcist? No, perhaps it is simply Spiritualist. I also serve Lady Cici as her advisor and servant. I have come from a land far to the east, Yomi, in order to study the spirits of other cultures. In my travels, I came across Milady. Her spirit is...interesting, to say the least. It is inspiring. I begged her to take me on as a servant."
1695
1696"Ah. So how come you made Nori and Jitsu? Were you lonely?"
1697
1698"I am a solitary creature by nature. Loneliness is a foreign concept to me. No, anything I do, I do for a reason. I made them because they would prove useful. Admittedly, I saw them more as tools than as my children. But I take good care of my tools."
1699
1700"I understand, I think. Err...do you mind if I ask about..."
1701
1702"My eyes, perhaps? If that is what you meant, it was simply a sacrifice I chose to make knowing the risks. My art follows the law of equivalent exchange. To gain something, you must sacrifice something of equal value. My eyesight was an easy thing to give up; it mislead me on a regular basis. Tempted me, distracted me, drove me to sin. I don't want to sin. I want results. And if I need eyes for something, I borrow somebody else's. One good use for having two wonderful assistants." He grins proudly.
1703
1704"That's kind of amazing...did you have some goal in mind or something when you chose to give up your eyes?"
1705
1706"I seeked to find truth, to align my belief with truth, and to reach the maxim of existence. That is the purpose I chose for myself."
1707
1708"You...chose your purpose?"
1709
1710"Of course. Life is objectively pointless beyond the propogation of your species, and even then it's a continued existence for existence's sake. But, us, we have the ability to think and make decisions, as well as to alter the subjective to suit our wishes. The subjective is a very versatile tool, one that can even alter the objective if it is well-made enough. The people who 'found their purpose' simply had a revelation as to what they wish to do. Of course, this is the rule. When heaven interferes, there can be exceptions. Those exceptions are miracles and curses, and take precedence over the natural order, because they work on the supernatural order. But, I'm glad that you brought it up. Heraldus Viridius. Sir Slayer. What is your purpose?"
1711
1712"I don't know yet."
1713
1714"That's fine. Just remember not to let anyone else decide that for you. The moment you do, you cease being a man, and become a slave. A tool."
1715
1716"I understand, and thank you...oh, the sun is setting. I'm sorry, I must be going if I want to wake up on time."
1717
1718"Right. Thank you for humoring us. I have enjoyed your company greatly." Kori bows. "Shall I lead you out?"
1719
1720"No thank you, I'll be fine. Thanks for the tea. It was probably the best tea I ever had."
1721
1722"You are very welcome. Safe travels."
1723
1724"Oh, you're alive? They didn't tear out your sternum and raise your ribs like wings?" Simone smiles up from the bench she was on.
1725
1726"Considering my ribcage is still intact, no." Heraldus shrugs. Simone chuckles and rises from the bench, beginning to walk with Heraldus towards the camp.
1727
1728"What was with those creepy girls anyways? They look as terrifying as they are beautiful."
1729
1730"It was probably a stylistic choice. But they are nice people."
1731
1732"Those things are people?"
1733
1734"I consider them to be, at least. They can think, they can express their thoughts."
1735
1736"Yeah, but aren't they being controlled?"
1737
1738"Not directly, I don't think. They act independently of their master and each other, yet choose to work together. From what I've seen."
1739
1740"So what sort of stuff did you talk about in there?"
1741
1742"The meaning of beauty, the point of living, stuff like that."
1743
1744"Huh. I just leave that thinking stuff to the thinkers. Unfortunately, I'm one of them." Simone grins. "Well, this is where we part ways. Don't stay up all night thinking about me, alright?"
1745
1746"I won't." Heraldus says bluntly. "See you." He raises a hand in parting, and begins to walk his own way."
1747
1748"Hah, this guy..." Simone couldn't help but smile as she watched him walk off. But after he was out of sight, her face straightens. "Well, back to my other job." She pulls her hood up and vanishes into a nearby alley.