tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83017180336059271252024-02-20T03:23:06.393-08:00Quotable Keeswkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-50004566661326254532015-07-05T19:28:00.002-07:002015-07-05T19:28:43.692-07:00PoemI'm sorry that your life fell apart,<br />
that I wasn't there to help you put it back together.<br />
Instead I was an unstable pillar.<br />
And I'm sorry for that too.wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-27936339293832398452015-06-15T20:01:00.002-07:002015-06-15T20:01:53.067-07:00Sigilian 35 A<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">35 (a)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince sat on the floor, legs folded beneath him. Books were stacked around him in small piles of three or four, sorted based on subject matter and usefulness.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Unfortunately, the “useful” piles were all abysmally small.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Taking a moment to survey his work of the past half hour, he simply unfolded, the motion carrying him to a standing position. As he stretched, he looked around the chambers that had become his cell.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After that first failed meeting with the Blood Red King, the guards had escorted him to this suite, and suggested that he wait inside. There was a place to freshen up, a bed to rest in should he desire it, and reading materials, as well as refreshments.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sometime during the next three hours that he had spent reading, they had locked and barred the door. Then they had moved a large weight in front of it, and opened up the hatches on this strange device they called a dumb-waiter.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The first time it had arrived, rattling down the shaft to deliver a letter and some food, the Prince had thought it an attack.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Only after he had leaped to his feet, drawing the longsword that the Captain had let him borrow, and charged to the foyer to repel the intruders, had he realized that the door was locked, and gone looking for the source.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The letter had calmly explained that until his loyalties could be decided, he would be contained “for his own safety”. He would have food delivered three times a day, the best food there was to offer, and he would have any reading materials and other activities for past-times that would not allow him to escape.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So far the books had all been sub-par, and useless. They had not been informative about the subjects they supposedly were about, and worse, they were clearly chosen for their lack of substance.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Every day that passed led him more and more to the belief that the Captain, Weeros, the Blood Red King, and his two bodyguards, were trying to hide something from him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Something that more knowledge might allow him to figure out.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They don’t want you to remember who you are.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The voice had been his near constant companion the past two days. It had taken it some time to come out of hiding again, but once it seemed to realize that he was truly alone, and would be for some time, it piped up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And now it wouldn’t pipe down.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Mostly it rambled on about the same old things, his mysterious forgotten self, how he was better than this, how he shouldn’t kill others, but if he needed to he needed a good reason, even for these pirates, etcetera, etcetera.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">However, the Prince still listened, as the voice would occasionally have some tidbit of previously unknown, or forgotten, advice or lore. These rare pieces, that so hinted at the shape of what he was missing, made all the pious advice and ramblings worthwhile.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His stretch and his reminiscing finished, the Prince walked over to the dumbwaiter. They were at least kind enough to send him sheets of parchment, and ink and a quill so that he could make requests.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Taking up a new sheet, he quickly scratched out five or six topics that he had come upon in his readings and found interesting, and then filled out the list with less important items and topics.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He’d been screening the things he really wanted with numerous flimsy and unimportant requests (he asked for a courtesan almost every time he made a request; he was interested to see how they would fulfill that request if they tried) in hopes that the important ones wouldn’t be pieced together or paid as much attention to.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Unfortunately, it hadn’t seemed to work so far, but at least the practice of coming up with the smokescreen was an entertaining diversion.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He’d also been working on a plan to try and get out for some time.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Currently the options were limited: wait to be released and fight his way free, shift bricks/dirt/tiles until he had a tunnel out to somewhere, push on the door until it gave, and, his personal favourite, get really bored, tear the dumb-waiter out of the shaft, climb up, and butcher everyone close by with his bare hands since his sword likely would make the climb near impossible.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But none of them would really work, and most resulted in him being alone on a strange island, or full of crossbow quarrels.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Waiting, and reading, was his best plan for now.</span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-ffa4d020-fa50-605f-f8a2-1530147f0736"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He finished the list, added “door key” for fun, and rang the bell to summon the dumb-waiter. Maybe this time they’d send him some interesting books…</span></span></span>wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-88939391397109098782015-06-08T19:05:00.002-07:002015-06-08T19:05:23.828-07:00DelayUnfortunately no update today.<br />
I've been busy, and not been writing as much, and so I'm a bit behind, and out of buffer chapters.<br />
I should have more time tomorrow, so I'll try and do a double update for Wednesday.wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-30835112234598823752015-06-06T10:00:00.000-07:002015-06-06T10:00:00.915-07:00Interlude: True Magic<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Interlude: True Magic</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-093b5943-c6fa-4f1f-d640-b73628b82550" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sigils and Sketching have long been accepted as the only kinds of “magic” in the world.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In fact, they are so common and well-understood, that they are more a science or an art than magic. Sigils, Sigilians, and the Sketching process are all easily studied, easily qualified and quantified.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sketching makes sense, the only unclear part being the reasons for the limits on only one active Sigil, and why only one house may have a given Sigil in their Sigilian.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, asides from that, Sketching is too logical and understood to be considered magic.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">However, before the Sigils, there did exist a kind of magic, now known as “True Magic” among its supporters.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Those who revered the Eldritch, ancient beings said to have slumbered since the dawn of time, gained the ability to alter reality in tangible ways. The Stormcallers of the Seven Seas were one such cult of “magicians” of such ancient times. Other notable cults were the Doomhounds, the Sun Scorchers, the Terrans, the Life Wardens, and the Wind Walkers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The existence of these cults, and of this magic is now questioned. There exists no proof that such things ever existed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">However, there will always be support for such beliefs. For example, the argument that there is no proof, that if they could change the world, these magicians would have left their mark, is often countered by the point that even had they left such a mark, the passage of time would have erased it. As well, several key documents in well-respected libraries do mention the six notable cults. There are in fact no other known cults; those six may have been the extent of the magicians, or they may have been a minor group chosen for the treatise for an unknown reason.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In modern times, “True Magic” does not exist. If it ever did, it has long since been replaced (somehow) by Sigils. The leading theory is that someone bound “True Magic” into the many Sigils in response to some world event.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">However, some do say that “True Magic” does still exist in this world, just in a reduced form. These crazed theorists have no real proof, yet point to the Stormcallers of Faron Rek as proof.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Stormcallers are a cult of torturers and rodent tamers who have inhabited the catacombs beneath Faron Rek since before the time of Lady Tasha Destria. They practice their strange ways, forcing the survivors of shipwrecks, and those sold to them, to participate in their initiation rites, the so called “Deep Trials”. These Deep Trials often leave the participants as maddened and crazed as the rest of the Stormcallers. The most rational of individuals can become a fervent cultist, forever lost to the realm of the sane, within mere weeks, sometimes days.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">These Stormcallers are supposedly to blame for the massive hurricanes that occasionally spring up around Faron Rek, as well as the massive Cave Rats, beasts the size of small dogs that wail constantly when not trying to eat anything that moves.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There is little truly known about the Stormcallers. The Blood Red King will occasionally use them as tools, taking advantage of their skills to get stubborn prisoners to break and spill their secrets. As the prisoners are usually useless afterwards, the Stormcallers usually gain a new cultist out of the deal, which is why they agree to help.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As they don’t ask for sustenance from the inhabitants of Faron Rek, and are rarely seen out of their catacombs (except when in prayer; see below) it is unknown as to what they eat, asides from perhaps the rats that they are known to breed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The reason that they are credited with the hurricanes is because of the Stormcaller’s prayers to their “god”, one of the so-called Eldritch.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">These prayers are often wailing, in a foul language that hurts the ears to listen to. They march to their chosen places of prayer, and then adopt the chosen pose; balanced on their left leg, right leg folded in half, arms stretched high over their heads, heads thrown back to expose and elongate the neck.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They then maintain this position with an unnerving stillness, the only movement being of their mouth, tongue, and throat as they chant.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">These prayers usually last between half an hour and half a day, with no more precise measurement than that known.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The cultists do have several other strange behaviours or descriptors that fuel these rumours.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They always smell of sea brine, no matter how long they have been away from their catacombs. In a similar manner to the smell, their robes are always, at the least, damp (which is not saying much on Faron Rek), but are often dripping wet for hours at a time. Finally, they never remove their robes, and their hoods seem to cast more shadows on their faces than they should.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">However, most of this information is gleaned from the tales of pirates, and so is, by its very definition, unreliable.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There is no other evidence of “True Magic” to be found in modern times. Two hundred years ago a woman claiming to be the avatar of the Eldritch of Fire was repeatedly burned at the stake, without dying, upon her own insistence. After this time, and when she repeatedly refused that she had a Sigilian, she was beaten unconscious, and drowned as an abomination. However, it is assumed that she was the missing daughter of the House that, at the time, held the Sigil of Fire, and was trying to impress the populace.</span></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-24527815364019730992015-06-05T15:46:00.001-07:002015-06-05T15:46:14.895-07:00Sigilian 34 Pt 2<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi smiled as she walked back to her tent. The captain of the guards was finally hers, as was everyone else in the group. Nothing would now stand in the way of her finding Robert.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And once she had the Prince in hand she would be able to tell Hiros to start the wars.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Soon, soon everything would come to fruition.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Her smile faded when she walked into her tent to see the quill Linked to Hiros’ scribing a message across the page that was always kept in place for such an event.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Running to the desk, she read the message, then read it again, before letting out a scream of frustration. Despite being riddled with spelling errors and crossed out words, the message was clear enough.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-ffa4d020-c5e6-bc97-7356-4dbd6c34f149" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince is on Faron Rek. I think he was hurt, because now he is a Beshadowed. The man who brought him says that they did that to save him. I think they did that because they were the idiots who almost killed him in the first place.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He can’t remember anything, and is happy to be my bodyguard and assassin. What do you want me to do?</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After taking a moment to calm down, Natasi switched out the paper, and began to compose her reply.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Find the Stormcallers. They’re a group who spends most of their time in the lower catacombs of the island. They use older powers than Sigils, the only true type of magic this world knows. Don’t let their singing rats scare you.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Ask them, kindly, to call up a storm around the island.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I’ll send you more messages every day at dusk, and tell you when to drop the storm. I’ll be arriving on the island as soon as I can to take charge of the Prince.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In the meantime, keep the Prince safe, and nearby.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">One last thing; ask the brothers about starting the war. Tell them that I said it was time, or show them this letter. Then follow their instructions. Start this before asking the Stormcallers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As frustrating as the turn of events was, it at least meant that they had located Robert.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But a Beshadowed…that was bad news. Notoriously hard to affect with unwelcome Sigils, extremely difficult to kill, heightened perceptions, so hard to lie to, and terribly strong, probably good enough at fighting through brute strength and speed to kill the brothers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, at the same time…that made the Prince a prize far more worth capturing. It almost made him as interesting as ruling Destria. Almost, but not quite.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Anger warred with a budding sense of excitement for control of Natasi’s face as she lay down to sleep.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros was tired, and sore, and annoyed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He’d spent the last two days mustering pirate crews, getting bands together, sending them to their ships. He’d drafted letter after letter using Linked quills, which was tiring, and gave him headaches from staying in the State for so long.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, it was finally all done. He had sent the messages, mustered and dispatched the crews, let everyone know that there would be no leaving the island for the next few days if they didn’t leave now…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was a long list of stupid jobs that the brothers had given him. But, he was finally done it. Thankfully.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Or, maybe not. The last item on the list had been the one Natasi had given him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That long walk, down, down, into the catacombs beneath the island.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The eerie dripping of water, false light of the dancing will-o’-the-wisps reflecting off the chips of shiny rock in the walls, the calling of the supposed “singing rats” (Hiros had not seen any, so he refused to believe that the wailing song suffusing the area had come from anything less than human) and the hooded guide that smelled of sea brine and was dripping water had all added up to something that Hiros never wanted to repeat.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He shuddered at the thought that he would need to go down there and talk to that…</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">council </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">again someday.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But for now things were relatively safer and less eerie. Unfortunately, only relative to that trip into the catacombs.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The winds tore at Hiros’ cloak as he huddled at the entrance to the tunnel leading here.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Here was a platform jutting out from the edge of the mountain, more than three quarters of the way to the top. The jagged rock was slick from the rain coming down in sheets, and there were no handrails.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which, in Hiros’ eyes, made the feat performed by the five Stormcallers all the more insane.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They had walked out onto narrow spires extending even further from the cliff than the platform did. The spires were spaced roughly equidistant from each other, and pointed in five different directions, all out to sea, but some more or less elevated than others. They got narrower and less stable the further out they went, until at the end, where the Stormcallers were balanced (one on each spire), they were about an inch or two wide, and little pieces kept flaking off as the rain poured down.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Stormcallers apparently needed to balance out there and chant for what felt like hours, in order to call up a storm.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Although apparently it only took five bloody minutes to call up a rain heavy enough to soak Hiros to the bone, and winds cold and strong enough to set his teeth chattering in an instant, to try and pull his cloak from him every other moment, and succeed in tearing away his hat.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And their chanting set his teeth on edge. Part wail, part moan, part guttural yet sibilant language that lingered at the edges of his hearing, it was making a bad experience worse.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Blood Red King was not at all happy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But the Stormcallers had insisted that he either come with them, or stay in the catacombs until they finished, that they might make sure that the storm was satisfactory.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Throwing his mind what the catacombs had been like, Hiros re-evaluated (for the third time in as many minutes) his opinion of how bad the storm was.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Above the mountain’s peak thunderheads and clouds still heavy with rain began to thicken and swirl, slowly, with the island at their center.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-22583350833273766302015-06-03T21:23:00.005-07:002015-06-03T21:23:52.785-07:00Sigilian 34 pt 1<span style="color: white;">Hey all, sorry for the late update.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">My brain forgets that the day doesn't end when I sleep, but when the clock strikes midnight. I'll set alarms for the future.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens stared at the campfire. His head hurt, he was tired, and he was confused. They had tried, and tried, to track Robert. For a time they had been, Rens thought, on the prince’s trail. And then it just…petered out. Vanished at that small town after the fight with the bandits.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi had insisted that they keep on, choosing directions seemingly at random, but even she seemed to be more and more at a loss, more discouraged every day.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then there was the fact that he didn’t even know if he should be trusting her at all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Or why all his soldiers seemed to like her so much.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Why they were willing to go against his orders and had seemed to lose all faith in him as a commander.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And, worse yet, there were rumours about the Duke’s beginning to maneuver for a Succession. The last thing Destria needed was another Succession.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">If nothing else, he should at least be by the King and Queen’s side during this time. He’d be able to advise them on courses to take, and what to do, should they want his advice.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At the least he could lend them his blade and skill as a commander should it come to warfare.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He shifted on the log, uncomfortable in his armour, with the heat from the fire making him sweat too much, turning the armour from only mildly uncomfortable, to a nightmarish sauna.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They were running low on funds, and supplies as well. While they could always request more from the guardposts that they passed, there was only so much they could ask for. The soldiers were ranging farther and farther from the main column each day, just to find food and hunt animals for the meals that night.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hence the fire; Krendor had taken down a young buck with a lucky shot. So, it was time to cook it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He’d been sharing his concerns with Krendor over the past few days. That nagging memory, that hole in his thoughts kept tugging at him, trying to pull him towards some realization.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But it just wouldn’t fit together. The puzzle pieces refused to fit, no matter how he turned them or tried.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was almost infuriating. But he didn’t have the energy to be infuriated anymore. The amulet was taking a lot out of him, and in his paranoia he didn’t even take off his armour anymore.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He always needed to be ready. Always. For anything.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain, are you feeling okay?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens pulled himself from his thoughts and stared across at Krendor.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The flames were flickering, casting his second’s face in shadow, casting the whole camp in shadows. The stark contrast of dark night, and bright flames was startling and made his eyes hurt.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The shadows were easier to look at.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He’d gotten lost again. He shook his head to clear it, and raised his hand to ward off any further questions. After a moment he nodded, and turned again to look at Krendor.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes, I’m fine. Just…tired”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Understandable sir. Maybe you should take a break? Have a quick sleep, let me cook your food for you. Or, why don’t you go talk to Natasi? I know that the amulet is a drain on you. She’s a Sketcher, she might be able to help figure out why, or if it can somehow be mitigated”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens began to nod, then froze.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The thought had been there again, stronger this time. He was missing something, something key.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Something that had to do with Natasi, or the amulet, or Sketching. Or maybe all three.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Krendor seemed to be waiting for a response; dimly he heard himself ask another question.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m not sure if she could help really. What was her Sigil again?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I…I can’t remember actually. I’m not sure she ever said”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Hmm. Too bad. Maybe I’ll go ask her about it”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As Rens stood and began to look around to locate the noblewoman, Krendor came around the fire to take over the spit.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I think she said something about setting up her tent…”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The words came to the guard captain as if through water, from a long way away. The orange light of the fire started to fade to match the shadows, and then suddenly he felt his knees give way bonelessly, as the thoughts in his head swelled to a roar, then destroyed themselves in bursts of distortion.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-ffa4d020-bcce-b7c4-94f3-9787ad2efc11" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens’ eyes snapped open. He was lying on his side, and his head felt better than it had in a while. His stomach felt slightly queasy though, and as he moved to sit up, the clearing swam.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Get the surgeon, the captain is down. No, don’t stand there gawking soldier, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">run</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Krendor’s bellowing was clearer than before he fainted, but still off slightly. Not quite through water, but maybe from far away.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Krendor”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His voice was, oddly enough, a croak.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His second was at his side instantly.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Are you ok? You just fell over, you were muttering something, and then you dropped”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“How long have I been out?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“About ten seconds. It took me that long to get a runner here”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ten seconds…discipline is getting sloppy”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Krendor laughed as he helped the captain onto a log.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“One track mind eh? Next you’ll be telling me that instead of going to nap like you’d said, we’re going to break camp and go find the prince”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was something wrong there too, but it was unimportant.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens nodded, a rueful smile making its way onto his face, before he turned to his second and pulled the man closer so that they could speak quietly.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Krendor”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His second’s voice was full of concern, his eyes filled with the same.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Can I ask you a question?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Where is my amulet?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Krendor began to pull away, his face settling into disbelief, before he felt the dagger pressed into his side.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Answer me Krendor. My amulet. Where is it, and why did you lie to me about how long I was unconscious for?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I…I didn’t! You fell over, and then I called a runner, and then the runner was there, and I was telling him what to do!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His mind becoming clearer by the minute without the strain of the amulet, Rens swept the clearing with his eyes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Fire has burned lower, much lower than it would in ten seconds. Visibly lower. The meat is off the spit, and to the side. The camp is quieter, and the night birds have stopped. What is going on?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Krendor began to look truly desperate, sweat breaking out on his brow as he struggled to answer.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I swear, captain, I swear to you, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens growled in frustration, and withdrew his dagger. Sheathing it, he stood up and began to look around.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ll go find it then, it can’t have gotten far. Krendor stay here, don’t move. If you’re forgetting things again-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He turned to his second, eyes suddenly wide with horror.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You’re forgetting things again! The Sketcher, same as last time, the reason I was wearing my amulet! This is their plan! Where is Natasi, she’ll know these things, she is a Sketcher; she’ll know how these things work, and can maybe explain…oh no”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Krendor stared back at him, his eyes slowly glazing over.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ve been a fool haven’t I Krendor? I’ve let a wolf in amongst us”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Turning, he grabbed his sheathed sword from where it lay, and started off into the camp.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Well, I’ll put an end to it now, before it is too-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His sentence remained unfinished as Krendor tackled him from behind. With his armour still on, it must have been painful for his second, but he overbalanced, and fell forwards, Krendor landing on him, knee in his back, arms scrabbling to pin his.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Krendor! This is treason! High treason, betraying the royal family! This goes against your oath of duty not to strike a commanding officer! You have to stop this, do what is right!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, actually, he doesn’t”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi strode out of the forest, fingers trailing light as she began Sketching a complicated, looping Sigil.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You see, his loyalty is now to something greater than Destria. His loyalty is now to my Sigilian, to me, and nothing can break that when someone threatens me with harm”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The guard captain glared at the traitorous woman as Krendor finally got him pinned.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Why? What do you even stand to gain by a Succession? If that is even what you’re after”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, Rens, you silly man” Her laughter was a cruel tinkling noise, fake, and practiced to best mock its target “Even were I the kind to divulge my plans, it won’t matter to you soon enough anyways. After all, you’ll be helping me to complete them just as soon as I finish Sketching this. I thank you for fainting by the way. Otherwise I would never have been able to make my move and get that amulet off you. Stubborn man, tried too hard to protect yourself. Tsk tsk”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was silence for a time, broken only by Rens’ attempts to break Krendor’s hold. The clearing began to glow more and more as Natasi’s Sigil grew closer to completion, the eerie half-light of a Sigil mixing with that of the fire.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You know, it almost doesn’t matter anymore”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi’s voice broke the silence suddenly, startling both combatants. Rens went still as he craned his neck to look at her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ve lost track of Robert. He must have taken a different path than the one that that map maker showed me. Either that, or one of us got lost. I’m none too thrilled with that. But, you’ll at least be under my control, and we can do things my way from here on out”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The silence descended again, everyone contemplating the recent turn of events.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And as Krendor relaxed his grip slightly, as his attention just slightly shifted away from the captain, Rens threw the other man off, and lunged for Natasi, his dagger scraping free of its sheath.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He raised it up as Krendor scrambled to get him pinned again, but Natasi’s face split into a triumphant smile in the Sigil’s ghostlight.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">With a flourish she finished Sketching, Rens dropped his dagger with horror and threw himself to the side to miss her, and Krendor stopped trying to pin him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“My lady, I am so very sorry”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">How could he have attacked her? She was too perfect for that.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“It is okay Guard Captain. I forgive you. Now then. Why don’t we all get some sleep, and get an early start tomorrow morning? I’ll let the men know that you’ve ceased your foolishness and that they should follow you again, and over breakfast we can discuss new marching orders”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens bowed again, and smiled at the thought of better serving his Lady.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-54380954108824328892015-06-01T20:13:00.003-07:002015-06-01T20:13:47.248-07:00Sigilian 33<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros had had an…interesting conversation with the brothers last night. It seemed that Natasi had a much bigger part in mind for him than he had ever known. It seemed that his little Sigil of Sketching was about to become very useful.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He stifled a laugh. And to think, here he was, a king. He was going to have every luxury he could ever have dreamed of, and be too busy to enjoy them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Not too long ago he had been blowing smoke rings in the bandit camp and thinking that he was a king among men for he was able to lord it over his other bandits and some female captives. He had looked at kings as something to aspire to, as something to envy and call himself when he was succeeding.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Ha.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Now he truly was a king. And more people wanted him dead now than ever had when he was a bandit. He had ten, a hundred, a thousand times the responsibilities of then, and while he had perks and benefits to match he had no time to enjoy them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Who would ever want to be king?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But he kept the rueful laugh inside, for it would look bad to chuckle while being crowned.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He sat on the throne, which had been wheeled out from its usual place to the formal audience hall. Like bandits and pirates knew what the hell a formal audience hall was.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This one was filled with drunken idiots who were here to celebrate with the free booze and whores that the Blood Red King’s coronation mandated.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His clothes were as far different from those of the ragged labourers as they could be. Theirs were stained, faded, often torn and patched; his were fresh, new, made of silks, satins, and furs, in regal purple and red colouring. He thought the colours made him look like a bloody idiot, but they were apparently traditional.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The scent of old blood surrounded him, making him nauseous; the clothes were not stained red with dyes, but rather with deaths.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crown sat atop his head slightly lopsided, and he had his pipe clenched between his teeth. The pipeweed they had given him as the king was good. Better than anything he could get his hands on in the alleys here.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, it was still horrible compared to the stuff they’d stolen from duke’s caravans back in the day.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Ah well. He was king now, better get used to it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The coroner…no, that wasn’t the word, was it? Hiros couldn’t be bothered by trying to remember the proper word. Oh well, the coroner it was then. He was droning on and on about something, but all the people wanted to hear was “Eat, drink, and be merry”, although in slightly more vulgar terms than that.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros was also looking forwards to those words. He had wrung a promise from the assassins that he would be allowed one night of fun before the work started. He intended to make good use of that night.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The best women, the best wines, the best pipe weed (god, this stuff really was horrible compared to what he was used to stealing from his bosses), and the best wine-induced sleep he could put himself into.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would enjoy being king, even if only for one night.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Just as Hiros began to lose himself in his little fantasy, the coroner finished his speech.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And now, a few words from the Blood Red King”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Ah. This part. Well, the brothers had told him what Natasi wanted him to say. May as well get it over with.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ladies and gentlemen”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crowd snorted at that.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We’ll, I hope, have a long and illustrious time together. I am the Blood Red King, and I intend to bring big changes to our lives! We’ll see riches like we’ve never seen before, victories aplenty, many chances to cheat the world, perhaps even a kingdom under our thumbs! We’ll lie, swindle, and be merry! But first, first my friends, there is a very special ceremony we can’t forget. Tonight it is time to drown yourselves in wine and forget your troubles with a beautiful lad or lass! Tonight we celebrate future glories!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crowds cheered, and the cheers echoed from all across the city.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Of course, there would be many who would not be drinking; plenty of people would take advantage of the drunkards to settle old scores, take some marks, earn a few coins. But they were in the minority. Most people, all across the city, would be celebrating the rise of a new king, just like they’d have celebrated the defeat of a challenger.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And Hiros would be joining them. He grinned round at his court, grabbed the nearest wine glass, and drained it in one go. If he died of poison, well, he’d already Linked (and made those Links permanent) his own heartbeat with the heartbeats of those closest to his position in a one-way link. If his stopped, so would there’s. He grinned, both at the thought of a good night, and at the certainty that if he died, so would anyone close enough to have stood to gain by poisoning him.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-ffa4d020-b242-4d30-37fe-95ec5a02cfdd" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Shadow Prince stared across the bridge in confusion.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The wall across from him was shining with light, and the entire cavern resounded with the sounds of cheering.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah. Prince, it seems you have arrived just in time to hear about the old King either beating down a challenger, or being deposed”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Weeros stared past the Prince at the city alight with lanterns and torches.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Since the lanterns are red it means the city is bathed in blood, symbolically. You have a new boss”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You said that sometimes the new King’s have the old Princes killed”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah. Yes. I did. But, you see, you are not really the old Prince anymore, are you? You are a new Prince. You don’t really have any memories of your past, but you have the same skills. You’ll make a fine new Prince for the new King”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Sketcher and the Prince were escorted by five of the crew of the ship, and a guide. The captain had stayed behind to “arrange for a new cargo”, leaving the increasingly nervous ship’s Sketcher to guide the Shadow Prince to his meeting with the Blood Red King.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince was sorely tempted to grab the Sketcher, take his coinpurse from his coat (which held the necessary letters, and the gold), and toss the runty fool over the bridge.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But that would look bad with the crew, and then he’d be at the mercy of an unknown city. He restrained his temper.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Right. And if he doesn’t want me, I’ll snap his neck and make my own way out”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the Prince turned and began to walk across the bridge, the Sketcher opened his mouth to contradict his ability to do so…then snapped it shut as his broken hand twinged, and hurried after the bigger man.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The city was alive with lights and drunkards. Thieves and pirates fell out of doorways into the Prince’s path with almost every step, and every other step was taken over the body of some poor fool, either passed out or dead.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crew behind him simply trod on the downed men, but the Prince took care to not step on the bodies. The dead deserved their rest, and the drunk would have enough worries in the morning without bruises from him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Up the hill, yes, to the very top. That’s where we’ll find the king”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A few minutes after arriving in the city proper the Prince had decided that it might be fun to ignore the ship’s Sketcher and see how long it took him to get annoyed. It had been a count of three thousand and sixty seven since he had started. One corner of his mind had started a counter then and hadn’t bothered to stop.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So far the Sketcher seemed more than happy enough to be avoided by the man leaking shadows.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Time to change the game.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Spinning, the Prince stared the Sketcher right in the face.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“The top?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The smaller man jumped at the sudden movement, came down on a body, and went sprawling.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crew sniggered.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, ah, yes Prince. The top. You had said you wanted to explore the city, but as it is getting late I suggest that we maybe make our way to some stairs?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That is fine”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His language was…odd. It seemed too precise. But the Prince didn’t know how else to talk. It was as if his memories of his past life had taken with them the casual tones and grammar of the others when they fled.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Yes, you were raised to speak that way, and you’ve forgotten how not to.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That damn voice in his head again. For the past hour (three thousand six hundred and ninety eight count) it had been radiating silent disdain for the city and the situation. Now was the first time it had spoken in a while. The Prince decided to ignore it too.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Instead he looked around for some stairs.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The court of the Blood Red King was an even bigger mess than the rest of the city. While it had been true that the higher they climbed the more drunken fools there were and the less sober murderers, this building seemed to fly even in the face of that.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This was debauchery on an entirely different level.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Shadow Prince negotiated a minefield of men and women engaged in sexual acts, pirates and thieves seeing visions from narcotic substances, and rowdy gamblers who were so drunk they could barely see straight.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Twice he had to break limbs when drunken brawls had threatened to pull his party into their midst. Even when drunk beyond all reason, a man leaking shadows folding their friend like a pretzel was a warning sign.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crewers looked almost green with envy while Weeros just looked green. He seemed to have a weak stomach oddly enough.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Left here?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, ah yes. It should be left”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Continuous interaction with the monster he had created had drained all the sibilant promises of pain from the Sketcher’s voice.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince crossed the room as rapidly as the room itself allowed, and entered the doorway on the left. It was more like a hole in the wall, as they were in something more properly resembling a cave system than a building. Weeros promised that these led to the Blood Red King’s quarters, which were indeed more like proper rooms, but the Prince didn’t particularly care either way.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So long as he could see the King and get what he wanted, he was happy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Standing guard at the next door were three surly looking men. They seemed particularly unhappy, possibly because they were not allowed to join in the revels.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Nobody sees the King. He’s busy” The middle one, widest in the shoulders and with a face like an ape, glared at them as he stepped into the Prince’s path.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, well, we have special permission. You see, he is the…” Weeros’ speech faded under twin glares from the Prince and the ape-man.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You deal with it then”, he squeaked at the Prince as he thrust papers into his hand.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Guard”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Shadow man”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m the Blood Red Prince. I’m the King’s right hand man”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The guard looked at him quizzically.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“The Blood Red Prince huh? I don’t remember the King having no Blood Red Princes”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Really?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Shadow Prince offered the guard the letter; with a wary look the man took it and, squinting, looked the page over.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah. The Blood Red Prince. Yes. ‘Course”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Pocketing the coins that had been hidden within, he turned and waved the other two guards away.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We’ll let the Prince pass, if he offers the toll”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sighing, the Shadow Prince stepped forwards and punched the man in the kidney. As the thug collapsed, the other two drew steel, ugly looking daggers with spikes on the hand guards.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That fool just recieved the only toll I am in the mood for paying. Are the two of you going to delay the meeting with my liege any longer?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The two exchanged looks and shrugged.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I think you should go see the King”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And if you off him then we get another party”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Prince ignored the fools once they’d put their weapons away. The door swung open into luxurious apartments - </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You once had nicer </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- that were decked out in reds, golds, and purples.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince found himself in a sitting room with comfortable looking arm chairs and couches everywhere. There were two doors off of the chamber; one was closed, while the other opened into an opulent bedroom.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Stepping forwards, he looked through to see a man in a ridiculous purple and red raiment, a thick cloak trailing behind him through the puddles of wine on the floor.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Two men in boiled leathers the colour of midnight leapt to their feet, hands going to swords. They looked like brothers, the one on the left the taller of the two. The one on the right had a scar across his cheek, and both wore longswords and daggers at their belts. Scar had a longbow across his back.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man in blood-stained raiment was currently emptying his wine glass onto the stomach of a woman lying on the bed, and trying to smoke a coin purse.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah. Yes”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Weeros stepped forwards, eager to take control again, and bowed to the man, who had not yet noticed them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“My liege, might I present to you the Blood Red Prince of the late King. And my Prince, let me introduce to you his majesty King Hiros, the newly crowned king of Faron Rek”</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Once Tomas had killed the pirate captain, the pirates had, of course, gotten quite angry. Storming the ship, they had begun to carry out their threat of putting people to the sword, starting with the three on the quarterdeck.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A swarm of arrows, followed by a group of infuriated pirates, had come racing their way.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian smiled as he thought back on it. They really hadn’t stood a chance.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The arrows had proved ineffective as Tomas mysteriously managed to dodge them all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Even stranger were the arrows that came towards Laerian and the merchant captain. They’d been, well, some of the pirates swore that Laerian’s scarves snatched them out of the air, or deflected them into the paths of other arrows, but that was crazy. It wasn’t like the two they had brought aboard were Sketchers were they?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">No, it was more likely that they too had managed to dodge most of the arrows, for three had caught the merchant; two in the legs and one in the shoulder.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Then the pirates had managed to close with the trio, and things had turned into a rout.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">What Tomas had lacked in skill with his blade he made up for in speed and strength, each strike either taking a pirate out of the fight, or setting him up to be able to do so.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The pirates had found in him an unbeatable foe, but perhaps Laerian was the worse one to be fighting.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had coiled those scarves out like whips (they must have wires and weights sewn into them, the pirates said, for otherwise they couldn’t move, and strike, like they had done that day). After the enraged men and women had stared at him for a moment, they’d tried to kill him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And failed. None got closer than the reach of his “whips”. Each movement of his arms took down another pirate, or threw one into another, or turned them about so that their swords met the flesh of their allies.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Fighting Tomas had been simply impossible, in appearance and reality. Fighting Laerian had seemed entirely possible, victory certainly within their grasp. Questing for that impossible goal was what had so defeated them in the end.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And that defeat had led to Laerian’s current position.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He leaned against the elaborate woodwork at the back of the ship and couldn’t help but smile again, the expression splitting his face.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He and Tomas were being escorted, by three pirate ships, to Faron Rek. Once a lull had appeared in the fighting and the impossibility of their task was realized, the pirates had retreated to let the captains confer.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They’d all agreed; these two were more trouble than they were worth. They’d deliver them to Faron Rek, take an extra price from the merchant ship to cover the losses they’d suffered, and go about their lives.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At the thought of the price paid by the merchants Laerian’s expression did grow somewhat more somber. They hadn’t all deserved to be stolen from, especially not all their cargo and anything at all of value on the ship.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After all, only the captain had been in league with the pirates.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, if they had tried to stop the pirates, they likely would have only ended up securing a death penalty for everyone aboard the ship.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Three more days to Faron Rek. He could live with that guilt until then.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Blood Red King turned blearily, his eyes flicking back and forth before finally focusing just to the left of the Shadow Prince’s face.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Who?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The two men stepped into the Prince’s path, eyes narrowing. Then, almost in unison, their eyes widened, and they turned to look at each other.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ll delay them. You explain to the King” His last two words dripping with sarcasm, Scar turned to the newcomers and ushered them back into the previous room. As they left, the Prince could see the taller one lifting a bucket towards the King.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Likely the man was not in for a pleasant awakening from his stupor.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But that didn’t interest him at the moment. Scar did.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Who are you?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The guard turned at his question and looked him over. The Prince knew he was an impressive figure. He was tall, and many had described him as handsome, both faint memories, and also women in the port before they noticed his shadows. His eyes, a dark, shadowy grey, were matched by the black stubble of his beard. His flesh leaked shadows, he was clad in loose fitting white pants and a sleeveless leather jerkin that he had borrowed from the pirates. Sitting on top of that was a long red coat, taken from Captain Dashiel’s private collection. Belted at his side was the longsword that he had been found with. However, thankfully, the scar on his chest, more a shadow-filled trench in his skin, was hidden from sight. That would have attracted more attention than he wanted.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But that hadn’t been what had startled this man and his, the Prince assumed, brother. They had assessed him as a threat, and then they had noticed his face.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That was when they had exchanged looks. So, who were they to recognize him, and what might they know of his past?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, Blood Red Prince, this would be one of the King’s three bodyguards, loyal servants who…”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince turned slowly to look at Weeros. The Sketcher would interfere with this chance to learn about his past, this he was sure.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">One part of him knew that the easiest way out would be to break the smaller man’s neck.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But you know that would be wrong.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even though he was an enemy-</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he is of Lomwar, and a pirate, a great enemy</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-the voice now insisted that killing him would be wrong.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But would he have any other chance to find out who he was?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“…and then they usually get rid of the old bodyguards, but sometimes keep them on. Although, who knows about the loyalty of hired dogs? Afterall-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince turned to tell the ship’s Sketcher to silence himself, but apparently Scar took offense at “hired dogs”. Weeros stammered to a halt as the man’s sword was suddenly pressed to his throat.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Speak again, and die”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It seemed that Scar was a man of few words.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Prince”, he half turned to nod in recognition, “We didn’t think you’d be here yet. Or that you’d be so grey”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Apparently he was also a bit of a comedian.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m who he said. Bodyguard of the King. But he’s drunk now. You can wait for him. My brother is trying to get him to lucidity. He can answer your questions. I won’t”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince shrugged and settled in for a wait. Talking to Scar would likely be pointless, and he didn’t seem like a man that you wanted to press.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He’d wait, and then he’d talk to the King, and then, if he didn’t get some answers, maybe he would ignore the voice in his head, and kill some people.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-61826325766658048722015-05-30T19:45:00.002-07:002015-05-30T19:45:22.810-07:00Portfolio work #1<span style="color: white;">This is some of the work from my Creative Writing application portfolio.</span><div>
<span style="color: white;">I may have already posted some of it. These are from all different times and moods.</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-886a9d10-a7db-8be9-e234-2e074cef3d2b"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">You see something, don’t you?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">What is it that you see though?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Do you see a dark splotch? A spreading stain of corruption</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">bleeding slowly outwards</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">from the heart?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Or do you see the purity that still remains, the limbs still with life in them, struggling against that slow spread of blood, that slow spread of corruption and death? Do you see how each moment is another drawn breath, is another thought racing along nerves, and another chance at survival?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Or do you see the futile beating of the heart, trying so hard to keep the body alive, but in its beating, like drums of war, only speeding the process of death as it pumps, second by second, the lifeblood of the people from their veins?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Or do you see reality at all?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Are you too self-absorbed, too blinded by your own needs to see what this world is?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I hope that someday I might see what this world is.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Snippet</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Books are the most important thing to me,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But I don’t care about a library because it is a candle next to the sun,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And even dimmer next to you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">How to be an (Aspiring) Writer</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A sonnet by Kees Schuller</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Once you’ve got the music set</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Drink in hand, and laptop prepped</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Start at once, do not delay</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Words are the game, it’s time to play</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Stop! And wait, there’s more to do!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">All the world has claims on you</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Down and Up, there is no end</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Calls and texts, and shows with friends!</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But find yourself some time to write,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Put the words down, all black on white</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Remember though, that golden truth</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Give up halfway, the rule of youth</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Lies</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Half of me is a lie.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And half of me is not.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sometimes I forgot which half is which.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It...it is not easy to remember who I am anymore. I was once an innocent child, a good person. Now I am someone else, and I don’t know who that is.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Half of me is a truth, and I cannot remember which half that is.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Trees</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">From a distance, a blur, in winter white with snow-laden branches</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in spring brown, leaves not yet grown</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in summer green, in many shades</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in fall a collage, reds, yellows, and browns.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Little branches shoot above the blur. Without good vision they can’t be seen.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">These branches make the blur distinct, separate it down,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">piece by piece, into its components;</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">spreading, branching, weaving wood, above just like below.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They don’t collide, rarely touch, yet grow so close together that it seems they must.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They know the others are there, giving, providing for the creatures within the</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">spreading, branching, weaving wood.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I see buds of new leaves, not sprung, like the eggs of spring, in their nests of woven things.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">These eggs will soon hatch into new life.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">From a distance they’re a blur. Up close they are lofty, distinct, interwoven life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-59261443993294176372015-05-29T20:47:00.002-07:002015-05-29T20:47:40.547-07:00Sigilian 32<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian opened his eyes and looked down at the scurrying crew below.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The wind on his face had been a nice sensation, soothing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But with the pirates approaching, it was more important to be ready.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Stretching his legs for a moment, he searched the ship with his eyes. Tomas was standing at the rail, presumably glaring out at the other ships. The crew darted around him, doing their best to get the ship to port or to shore before the pirates could catch them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Has Laerian been less patient he would have slashed the lines and doomed the entire ship.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, that would have meant the deaths of all those on the crew. A better solution was to take a small rowboat. He knew that the ship had three launches. He was sure that the captain would be willing to part with one in exchange for a chance to escape.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rolling to his feet, Laerian made his way back along the crossbeam, and scrambled down the rigging.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As he dropped the last few feet to the deck, Tomas turned towards him, his face set in the scowl that seemed permanent now.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What’s the plan? Can we fight off pirates?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We don’t. Get our things. That’s our final ship”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The revelation did little to improve Tomas’ mood.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We’re going to go with the pirates, and hope that they don’t kill us but take us where we want to go instead?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yep! So go grab our stuff while I talk to the captain about borrowing a launch”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What about just taking this ship to the port?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“It won’t work. How are we going to find a ship that just happens to be going to Faron Rek? The plan was to keep taking ships back and forth until one was attacked by pirates. Then we jump ship, cast our fate with the pirates, and go from there”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You’re insane”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was tempting to grin, tempting to make some infuriating response, but that would do nothing to get Tomas to cooperate. Instead Laerian just shrugged.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“If this doesn’t work then we’ll do things your way next time. I’m going to go talk to the captain”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Fine. If the captain agrees to give you a launch”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“He will”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian turned and darted between the crew as he made his way to the stairs.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain?” He stepped onto the aftcastle and looked around. The Helmsman was there, but the captain was not. “Helmsman, have you seen the captain?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“He went belowdecks”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Right, thanks”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian turned and hurried back down, wrapping his scarf around his right hand as he did so.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was probably nothing, but a missing captain at a time like this…Oftentimes the captains of these ships had…deals with the pirates. If the captain had an arrangement and was going to fulfill the details of it, he might not appreciate being interrupted.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Looking both ways down the hall, he went left, towards his own quarters first. The door stood open, and Tomas was throwing everything into Laerian’s pack.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Tomas, things may have changed. The captain may have an agreement with the pirates. I’m going to check it out. Want to ready a launch when you’re done packing?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A thin growl met his request, but Tomas nodded after a moment.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Thanks. I’ll be right back”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"> Laerian turned the other direction, and started for the stairs into the hold. He slid down the first ladder, and ducked behind some crates; it would only take a moment to set his scarves to dancing, and then he would be ready for anything that he would be up against.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had just started Sketching when he heard the clinking of coins from further down the hold. Peering out he saw the captain walking along, a small chest in his arms.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“This should be enough for this trip…especially if I hand over the passengers and their supplies. Now then, let me see, what is a good ex-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was cut short as Laerian stepped out and pointed a dagger at him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain. I can’t help but wonder why you have a small chest full of coins. You couldn’t possibly be planning on paying off the pirates could you? Especially not with my travelling companion and I”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah. No, you see, it is not that at all it is-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Other men would have stammered. They would have been nervous in a situation like this. Laerian dove forwards and the club that would have knocked him out missed by a hair.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the captain stepped back Laerian rolled to his feet to face the surly looking rower who stood in front of him, club in hand.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Cap’n, you want I should know this one out?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, but my dear sailor, and captain, that would be a bit rash”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian turned sideways to the rower so that he could keep an eye on both men more easily. The captain didn’t seem like the type to fight…but you could never be too careful.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You see, I was looking for you to offer a solution captain. To your pirate problem. I was going to offer that my companion and I put out in a small launch and go negotiate for your ships release. After all, you have gotten us to our destination fairly quickly. We were looking for the pirates”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian shrugged sheepishly, the nonchalant and easy gesture completely at odds with his internal conflict. If this went poorly…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You were looking for the pirates?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The captain was even less nervous than before; obviously things were going his way.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes. We’re bandit kings, looking to get to Faron Rek”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That seemed to take him back a bit. The fop and the moody youth were bandit kings? Who </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">wanted</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to go to Faron Rek?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That meant one of two things: They were tougher than they looked, or they were crazy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Apparently the captain wanted nothing to do with them either way.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah. Well. Dan, you can put the club away. We’ll send our passengers on their merry way to the pirates. No need for a launch master…bandit king. Engro isn’t your name is it?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Nah. Engro? Play on </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">engross</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I sometimes do stage shows. Thought it’d be funny to name myself after what I do to people. Have to say, I’ve pulled you boys in quite well”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Mm. Yes. Well. Go ready yourself and your companion. I’ll let the crew know that we’ve been commandeered by the two of you and that you’re not to be interfered with; we’ll sail to the pirates and trade you two and the payment for our freedom”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Aye-aye captain”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian smirked as he snapped a mocking salute, then scrambled back up the ladder to go find Tomas.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-ffa4d020-a2ee-53c1-830f-2f207823ce01" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros stood before the Blood Red King.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The woman was hard, tough skin worn and weathered. Her arms were thick with muscles, and she wore her saber like she knew how to use it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Normally Hiros would be flustered. Today, he smiled.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Hello King. How’re you? I’m here to kill you dead and take your throne”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The woman stared at him for a while and shrugged.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ve seen how you fought my bodyguards. I’m good. Better than they were. But I can’t beat you”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There were gasps from the assembled crowd behind him. People didn’t like to see a Blood Red King step down without a fight.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It went against their bloodlust.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros didn’t like the King’s play either. It was worrying that she was so willing to give up what she had fought so hard to earn. This was either a ploy to get him to lower his guard so she could kill him later, or it was an attempt to make him look weak, and like a target for others.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His decision made, he stood straighter, readied himself to Sketch, and glared up at her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I won’t let you leave”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Why not? You’ll beat me if I stay. You have nothing to lose by letting me leave. And it isn’t like I will return. I’ll lose, either to you or two your bodyguards.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Besides, if you let me live, you stand to gain. I have contacts, friends who will be glad to see me walk out of here alive. You’ll be </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">losing</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> enemies, not gaining them, if you let me live”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros looked at the woman for another moment, then shrugged.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Sure. But, not to insult you, I’ll go settle into my rooms before you leave, then have someone look over the throne. I’d rather not have you walking close to me, or leaving a parting gift on the throne for me”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The woman nodded, and waved towards the exit.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“By all means, Blood Red King. Take your time. Usually the coronation is the next day. I’d suggest staying away from enterprising would-be-monarchs until then. Best way to become King is to kill your predecessor before they’re even crowned”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros nodded at the advice, and turned to leave. As soon as he was away from the group, both brothers joined him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You’ll need to announce that we are your first two bodyguards. Then we’ll look for the third”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Sure. Meanwhile I’m going to kick back, relax, maybe have some gourmet food ordered u-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No. You’ll get started on the work that Natasi left for you”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros’ jaunty strut faltered for a moment, and he had to lengthen his stride to try and catch up to the two brothers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Work? She left me work? But I thought that I was just going to be king!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course she left you work”, The shorter brother sounded almost…pleased to see Hiros’ distress, “Why else do you think she had you crowned Blood Red King? You can order around the gangs and bandits as you please, get them all ordered and ready to fight a war”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Fight a war?” Hiros paled as he stumbled on the uneven ground; his full attention was on the brothers, and none was left for paying attention to where he was going “We’re going to fight a war?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, King. You’re going to start one”</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas stood beside Laerian and the captain as the pirate ships drew up, one on each side of their smaller ship. The anchor had been dropped five minutes ago. The pirates had taken their time lining things up and satisfying themselves that it wasn’t some kind of diabolical trap.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas flexed his fingers and checked that his dagger was at hand. He’d taken the time to complete his Sigilian before; if this came to a fight he wanted to be ready.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Oy! Stand down, and prepare to be boarded!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The voice was loud and booming, echoing off the flat decks and ocean.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We’re standing down you fools!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The captain and Laerian swung to look at Tomas in surprise. It was not wise to antagonise pirates. Especially when you wanted them to help you get somewhere.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Fools?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The pirates who had been throwing lines and boarding planks across the gap between the ships paused in their work, and turned to stare at Tomas.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Then, as one, they parted to let a well dressed man with a rapier step up to the pirate ship’s bulwark.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You call us fools?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was the owner of that commanding voice. He did not look a man to mess with.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Well then. You were going to be set free after only surrendering your cargo, perhaps not even all of it, but now we’ll take more than that. How does your lives sounds?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The pirates around him laughed nervously as Tomas’ captain began to quiver. Turning to Tomas, his eyes drew down in anger and his voice was a hiss when he spoke.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What have you done, you idiot?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Grabbed their attention”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We had their attention already! What you did has just put my ship in danger!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You misunderstand. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> had their attention. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> did not. And I needed it all focused on me for this to work”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A rare grin dancing across his face, Tomas pushed the captain aside so that he could talk to Laerian directly.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Laerian, we’re getting ourselves a ship, today”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian stared back at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You do this your way then. I’ll back you up if need be”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Unlikely”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man with the booming voice, likely the pirate captain, rolled his eyes, and stepped onto the plank that another pirate had thrown between the ships.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Are you three done with your chat? Can I deliver your punishment now?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas smirked at the man, and drew his dagger. Then, after considering for a moment, he slid it back into its sheath.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain, I’ll need a dagger. I don’t want to waste mine”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As their captain stammered in surprise Laerian pulled a dagger from somewhere in his coat and tossed it to Tomas.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I doubt I’ll be getting it back?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Correct”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Whatever, I can get more”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The pirate captain had made it across the plank, and had drawn his rapier during their banter.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ll start with you, since you’re the one who called me fool. First, I shall divest you of that pitiful armament you call a weapon, then I shall-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Nobody would ever know what it was he was going to do to Tomas next, as his speech was suddenly cut short when Laerian’s dagger punched through his forehead. The force of the dagger sent the man flipping backwards, over the edge of the boat.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He, and Laerian’s dagger, disappeared with a splash.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Everyone turned to stare, once more, at Tomas, who was still had his arm outstretched from the follow through of his throw.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Right. So, you were calling us fools, but now your captain is dead. Can we discuss this with someone more reasonable? Maybe the first mate?”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian just laughed again.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-10298189610189586742015-05-27T12:12:00.002-07:002015-05-27T12:12:28.885-07:00Sigilian 31<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">31</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-ffa4d020-96c9-f5a7-5198-6e41753c607d" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros paused, catching his breath. Fighting was hard work, even when he wasn’t doing anything himself.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The second bodyguard had been put down as easily as the first. This third one though…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Are you ready to die yet?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The woman stared at him and took a step forwards, her twin rapiers ready to skewer Hiros if the assassin made one false move.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Not exactly, no. I haven’t had a chance to run an island yet, so if you could just delay a-gah!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He darted aside as her trailing rapier flew forwards, aiming for his heart. It skidded across his armour, scraping a gouge in the leather.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Have you never heard of banter?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was more angry at the assassin for not getting him out of the way faster than he was at the woman. After all, she was just doing her job.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the other rapier darted forwards, he fell into a rapid retreat around the room. The rapiers darted in, one after another in a constant swarm of deadly metal darts. A single lapse in concentration on his part, or the assassin’s, and he’d be dead.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Funny how his thoughts kept coming back to his impending death. The thoughts weren’t exactly helpful to maintaining the State either.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And until the assassin found a way to take back the advantage, then he would be out of luck.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The assassin continued his measured retreat always staying just one step ahead of the prisoner’s darting rapiers. His brother watched from the side of the room where he was perched atop a stack of crates.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Brother, slow down a bit! Or speed up! If you keep retreating at just the right speed then she’ll catch on to the ruse. Or worse, the King will. He is a sharp one”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His brother’s constant comments throughout the three fights had not been helpful. They had been more annoyance than aid.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Still, he grudgingly sped up his retreat, even throwing in a stumble or two to further the act of desperation.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His brother was right, after all. His brother was always right.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The assassin frowned as he dropped into a backwards roll, just enough to put some space between himself and the onslaught of the prisoner’s thrusts.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His name was Egon Adler. His brother was Gerulf Adler. And they were the two best fighters in all the world.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which was why he found the lack of a victory over this woman all the more galling.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She was but some lowland whore from the backwoods of Destria, or some worse place. She was in the service to a thrice damned pirate, and fought with twin </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">rapiers</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. She was the most foolish looking fighter he had ever seen, her fighting style was laughably outrageous, and she should not have been able to hold him off this long.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But her speed was truly prodigious.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Egon dropped to his knees as the first rapier came in, and knocked the second aside with his short sword. His longsword came around to take her hand at the wrist, but she was gone again, the prisoner rolling over his body even as he threw himself forwards, away from the blades.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was in no danger himself. Gerulf would kill the prisoner before it could strike the killing blow. While it would end the link and ensure Hiros’ death, such was a necessary risk.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">However, neither brother could afford to let that happen. Not when Natasi’s plans were on the line.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would rather die than fail her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He paused as that thought echoed oddly in his mind. It was…Wrong. Slightly off, but he could not tell why. And then he could no longer think about it as his pause earned him a narrow gash across his cheek.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros gasped at the pain as his focus wavered.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The assassin started his retreat again, but Hiros could not help but wonder why he had stopped in the first place. Unless they were trying to kill him after all…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But no. No, they would have done that sooner.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He continued to reassure himself, continued to focus solely on concentrating, focus on focusing itself. The pain was not that bad, not that bad at all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then he felt the burn of poison begin to spread from the wound.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Egon sidestepped a thrust and brought his short sword arcing down towards the woman’s wrist.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Finally, her thrust had left her over-extended. With her other arm out to the side she would not be able to bring it around in time to force him to abandon the chop. Which meant she would need to dodge.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A cruel grin split the assassin’s face as his longword swung in from the other side. If she dodged that way, she would get a nasty cut. Which meant that her only choice was to pull back, disengage that way.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And disengaging that way would mean-</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the shortsword crashed into the rapier, pressing then snapping it, Hiros felt the shock travel up his arm as if through a fog. Whatever she had poisoned him with, it was not good. It was leaving his mind fine, but his body was not his to control.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He grinned at that, or tried to. His eyes were even not under his control, the lids stuck open, only the orbs themselves free to move.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Still, she had just sealed her own doom. As sensation fled from his mind, there was less and less to distract him. Soon he would be able to take any hit at all and not lose the State. While the thought of taking “any hit at all” was not reassuring, the second part was.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, he thought as the end of her rapier clattered on the ground, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I may not even need to take any more hits at all.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Egon’s grin of victory did not last long. The prisoner had stepped away, and was standing there, simply watching him, head cocked.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Had the link been broken? Had the fight been too much for Hiros? Was he going to fail Natasi?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Or was this simply some new ploy on the part of his foe?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then he remembered the cut on his cheek. It didn’t bother him at all, even though she’d had a chance to possibly make it far worse.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ve got it brother!” Gerulf sneered at the prisoner as he toyed with his throwing dagger.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“As do I. Hiros has been poisoned”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Thoughts on what kind?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’d say paralysis. They’ll want to keep him alive and toy with him later”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And something to just make him fall asleep is not as fun as the slowing of movements until he stiffens entirely”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“My thoughts exactly”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gerulf and Egon seemed taciturn and withdrawn to all others. The reality was, the brothers had no need to talk overmuch to anyone else. Each was the other’s best friend. They guarded each other’s backs, fought side by side more times than they could count, and had been there for each other since the beginning. Egon had been watching out for his little brother since Gerulf had killed their father. Their mother had been missing since long before that.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So when they were alone together, as they were now, they talked, almost non-stop. There was truly no need for another friend.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Except Natasi.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Egon didn’t know how Gerulf felt about Natasi. He didn’t want to have to share her. But, he wasn’t going to bring up the problem unless it became one. He would rather lose Natasi than his brother. And he knew his brother felt the same way.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Well brother, what are you waiting for? Give the woman the show she wants”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Egon grinned again, and fell into a ready stance. He took a moment to rub the blood from his cheek, then began to advance on the woman, but a bit more stiffly than before.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His grin grew wider as the prisoner began to dance to her puppetmasters strings, darting away from him.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros almost laughed when the woman danced away from him. She didn’t want to kill him. She just wanted him to tire and fall flat on his face from the poison.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Apparently the assassin wasn’t going to give her the chance to make it a game of attrition.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros’ face was stuck in the last expression he’d had on it, a grimace of pain. He assumed that to the crowd it looked like rage when coupled with his now ferocious attack.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The assassin sent him leaping after the woman, longsword leading, shortsword ready to stab at her. He hit the ground running as she darted away, and finally caught up enough to swing with the longsword. She deflected it easily enough, but that left her open to the shortsword.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But it wasn’t a killing thrust.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Egon slowed himself even more, his legs quaking a bit as if he was unsteady. A cut that should have landed missed as she danced aside.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A few more passes like this, and he would have her.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Shadow Prince stared at the docks ahead of him. They were a mess of caravels, schooners, barges, longboats, ships and boats of every kind. The docks themselves were crowded with those there either to rob, to steal, to hawk their wares, to or to go to or from the vessels.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And, oddly enough, there was a single floating tower hovering at the end of one of the docks.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That’s it. That is where you were going.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had been going to the tower? But why?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His voice rung out across the ship. It was no longer hoarse and low like it had been when he’d first awoken.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was loud, it was clear, and he recognized the same notes of command in it that the captain had in his own.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The foppish man wandered over to stand beside the Shadow Prince.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What is that tower?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“A Destrian defense tower my lord. They float over the land and help the bastards to enforce their draconian rule”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Shadow Prince had noticed a subtle shift in the way the captain spoke of Destria over the course of the voyage. From just another country, to a hell for criminals, and then to a hell for its citizens. It seemed that the captain had trouble keeping his story straight.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Shadow Prince had not challenged him on it yet. He wanted to see how far the lies would go.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Why would I have been going there?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The captain scowled. The Prince was just about to give up on an answer when he spoke again.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Another…memory?” Dashiel sounded unhappy about the fact. But that made sense. He and Weeros had been trying to convince the Prince since day one that the voice in his head nothing but lies.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">How exactly he had gotten a liar locked into his skull with him they never could explain.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes Captain, another memory. Would you be so kind as to explain why it would want me to go there?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Well, to capture you of course. If you were to approach one of those, they’d arrest you for sure”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Except I was wearing the uniform. And there were closer garrisons than a floating tower I’m sure”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes, but the towers are best equipped to ferret out spies and liars. The soldiers inside are trained for that kind of thing”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Very well then” It was still all lies, but another question had occurred to the Prince instead “If that is true, then what is it doing here?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Dashiel grimaced and shook his head.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m afraid my lord, that I do not know”</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Egon fell to the ground as the rapier darted overhead, then dropped his longsword, scrabbling after it with barely moving fingers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You think she is buying this?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Egon didn’t bother to answer his brother. It took a lot of effort to curtail his natural instinct to beat at her with everything he had, and while still staying alive and also being slow, he didn’t want any other distractions.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He managed to lever himself into a kneeling position with his right arm without bending it. He’d been feigning its paralysis for some time now. By the lack of suspicious actions on the prisoner’s part he assumed that he’d guessed right about the poison.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Swinging his short sword numbly for a moment he finally let his arm fall to his side. He made one mighty surge of effort to stand, and then let himself fall before his legs moved too much.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Brother, you should have been an actor. Your performance is masterful”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gerulf began to clap slowly.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros slumped on the ground. He could still move his eyes enough to look up at the woman as she moved to stand in front of him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I like banter when I’m the only one who can do it. Or, how about we save it for the torture rooms eh?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She laughed and turned to face the crowd.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was still a lot of cheering, but much of it sounded forced. Hiros had been the new favourite, and his defeat was unpopular.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Especially since so many people were losing money because of it too.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Then he felt his legs tensing beneath him. Perhaps the gamblers had been too quick to pay what they owed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His left arm arced up as he rocked onto his heels. The blade cut a furrow along the woman’s back, and then went sailing further up into the air. As he rolled backwards and came to rest in a crouch the hilt came down squarely in his raised right hand.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As his arm was swung down, his sword and arm acting as a spear, his legs propelled him forwards once more.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The woman had only barely managed to react to the first cut when Hiros buried the blade to the hilt. It burst out through her chest with a spray of blood as she gasped in astonishment.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Now would have been the perfect time to say something incredible, but he still couldn’t move his body.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Instead he cut the link, and continued to fall forwards with her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He finally relaxed as fights broke out in the crowd over who owed who how much. The gamblers were definitely going to regret being too quick to pay.</span></span></div>
<br />wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-38329099100087461092015-05-25T09:55:00.001-07:002015-05-25T09:55:21.584-07:00Sigilian 30<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">30</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79234cbd-8bff-aae8-3751-a5b7154dd9cd" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian sat on a crossbeam high in the rigging. The wind whipped his scarf out behind him, two ribbons of red trailing in the sky.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas thought him thoroughly foolish.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The magician was a fop, a fool, and a murderer. He was too unreliable, too flighty, and far too easy-going. Paranoia was what was required to survive. And Laerian didn’t have it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas glared at his companion for another moment before turning back to the rail. The ships had made good progress in the past week. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Two changes of vessel, each time to one that would get them closer to Faron Rek, and the pirates.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This last one would be arriving in port tomorrow morning, and then they’d board, by Laerian’s count, the final ship.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Sails on the horizon! Four of ‘em!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At the cry Tomas turned and searched with his own eye, bad as his vision was. Glancing up he saw Laerian standing straight on the beam staring in all directions as well. He was wrapping his scarf back up into a coil around his neck.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Pirates”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The cry sent the boat into frantic movement, everyone running to the sails, to the lines, doing all they could to ready the boat for a fight should the flight fail.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas was just glad he was already in the State, already had Sketched earlier, set himself ready.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain, what’s the call?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Pray!”</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros stood in the center of the chamber.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He’d been in the inner city of Faron Rek for just over a week now.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was much as he remembered it; dim, dangerous, and dank, a hive of scum, and a den of evil, the lair of the depraved and the deprived where anything was legal, and nothing was safe.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He hated it as much as the other times he’d been here.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, the time had been necessary. It has given him time to link the three body guards and the King to four prisoners.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Now he was here, standing before the first of them, a large man with a sword that was almost longer than Hiros was tall.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He hoped that the assassin would be able to keep him alive. He hoped that the prisoner was even able to lift the sword they had gotten to match the guards.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But then again, it was not the prisoner who would be doing the lifting. Because of the link, it would be the guard who was lifting both swords.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros permitted himself a small grin. Hopefully it would work.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He couldn’t afford for it not to. He’d die.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His supporters were gathered behind him, the King’s loyal followers behind the guard. These ones were either his most devout, who fully believed that this body guard would triumph, or they were the most likely to switch sides, hoping to see a show of strength from Hiros before they backed him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Now, let us commence the opening ceremonies of this ancient ritual. Since Faron Rek was first founded…”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros tuned out the mumblings of the official. He had more important things to do, like look around. The walls were hung with trophies from ages past, from the conquests of previous KIngs, and trophies taken from the bodies of those Kings who failed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Lower down it became bare, giving the fighters a clear stretch of wall, ensuring that neither could grab trophies to use to their own advantage.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At either end of the room stadium seating had been carved into the cavern walls, which was where the spectators sat.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Above them, far above, was the ceiling. The cavern was roughly cylindrical, with a wood roof put in above. There were balconies just below the ceiling, with a storage room above for extra trophies.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That storage room had been cleared out by the assassins over the past few days, and set up as a mirror of the fighting space down here. That is where the taller assassin and the prisoners would act out Hiros’ fights.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros pulled his attention back to the present as the speaker wound down. He quickly Sketched a few small Sigils on the back of his hand, activating the links between himself and the assassin, and the prisoner and the guard. The nice thing about the ceremony was that they had to stand in exact positions, and stay standing that way. It meant that both links would be synced, none of the bodies being made to do impossible things by the magic.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the speaker finished Hiros completed the last Link and worked his jaw. That was still his own.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Are we ready to start then?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes. Begin”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The prisoner lifted his hulking greatsword from the ground and began to spin it around his head. With each spin he took a step closer to Hiros, each step bringing the blade closer to Hiros’ face.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But he didn’t move. He couldn’t move. He felt the Link sinking into his skin, binding him to the assassin. And the assassin had not yet moved.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Had it all just been a plot to get him murdered here? Would the assassin let him die?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">No, but they could have killed him at any time. He needed to trust the assassin, or the State would slip, and then he would truly be doomed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The greatsword swung around again, this time perilously close. Hiros’ muscles moved without his accord, and he took the tiniest step back. The blade passed mere centimeters in front of his nose.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had still not drawn his own blades.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Fight back you coward!” The hulking guard roared in frustration and changed tact, swinging his greatsword down in a chopping cut.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The ringing crash of it hitting the ground echoed throughout the chamber as Hiros stepped a foot to the left.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Aa the greatsword changed direction with startling speed, coming across in a sweep to trip him, his legs seemed to simply fold up underneath him, and then land on the edge of the blade.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crowd gasped as Hiros sprinted up the blade. The guard’s eyes went wide as the assassin smashed his knee into the prisoner’s face.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Like puppet, like master, and the guard's nose splattered equally well under the studs in Hiros’ leather armour.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A quick flip put Hiros behind the guard, and then a roll took him out of reach of that deadly sword.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After a moment the crowd burst into cheers. Coin changed hands as bets were lost and won, and new ones were made.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But Hiros didn’t notice. He was too busy dodging the strikes again. The guard was actually coming on now, fighting as well as he could.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was no match for the assassin. Hiros was still only taking minimal motions, dodging just barely, which meant that the assassin could perfectly read the guard’s intentions and movements through the prisoner. Neither Hiros nor the assassin had broken a sweat.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As Hiros ducked under the greatsword for the third time he finally drew a weapon.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The dagger slid free of the sheath without a sound. The assassin kept Hiros’ hands curled, kept the dagger pressed up and back against his forearm, hidden from both the crowd and the guard. The next time the blade swung down at him, Hiros rolled ahead. As the guard tried to bring his leg around in a kick, Hiros rolled between the man’s legs, and then sprang back to his feet on the other side.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hot blood dripped down the blade onto his wrist. He’d severed the femoral artery on the guard. He’d bleed out in a few minutes, less since he was fighting.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That wasn’t enough. As the guard swung the blade around again, Hiros darted in and grabbed onto the man’s hands, using that momentum to swing around onto his back. As he flipped up to stand on the man’s shoulders, his hands rose up to catch the falling greatsword. Slamming them together at just the right second, he caught it between his palms. His leather gloves skidded for a moment, then caught.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The next action was one Hiros himself wanted to take, so he was glad when the assassin did it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The guard stared up at Hiros, his eyes slowly going wide with the realization of pain. Hiros stared back with a predator’s smile.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“If you surrender now we might be able to bind the wounds before you bleed out”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Eyes narrowing with rage, the guard began to force the greatsword down even harder, but he was at a bad angle. Hiros easily held it in place.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No? No surrender? Are you sure?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crowd fell silent as first one, then all, noticed the red foam starting to bubble from the guard’s mouth.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yep. Drivalen Lotus oil. Will kill a man in just a few seconds. Also terribly painful I’m told”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the pressure on the sword stopped, Hiros flipped out backwards, pulling the guard along with him as he did so.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">With a thunderous crash the guard fell to the ground, and all the crowd could clearly see the dagger protruding from his chest, the dagger that Hiros had planted when he spun around to his back.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was a moment of silence, and then cheers and boos broke out in equal measure as coin, once more, changed hands.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And all without drawing my swords ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, thank you very much”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros dropped out of the state and his limbs returned to his control.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Bowing deeply, he drew the dagger from the guard’s back and returned it to its sheath.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">If this was what it was like to be a hero, a King, this acclaim and these accolades, then perhaps being Blood Red King would not be so bad after all.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A small secret smile decorated his face as he bowed once more to the roaring crowd.</span></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-37031598666754034702015-05-24T14:09:00.004-07:002015-05-25T09:56:22.831-07:00Sigilian: Interlude #2: Assassin's Guilds<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Interlude: Assassins Guilds</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-093b5943-87c1-c294-4ed9-2d61db1b5f86" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There are several assassins guilds in the Torin Islands. Three are based in Lomwar, two in the Free Islands, and only one in Destria.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Each of these guilds employs all types of assassins, yet each has its own specialty.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The six guilds are: The Blackened Dagger, Midnighters, and Tumblers from Lomwar, the Cold House and the Silent from the Free Islands, and the Sigil Bearers from Destria. The Beshadowed, elite soldiers and killers created by the royal house of Lomwar, are sometimes considered to be the seventh guild, yet since they do no contract work, scholars agree that they do not rightly count.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Blackened Dagger are straightforward. There name says what they specialize in. While the members are not all poisoners, rumour has it that each of them carries at least four lethal poisons on them at all times.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">However, the Blackened Dagger has earned its name for having some of the most deadly poisons known to humanity. Drivalen Lotus oil, Macabre Meeting, Death Dance, Scorpion’s Tongue…the list goes on. If one wants access to these deadliest of poisons they either need to be a member, pay exorbitant fees to get a dose on the black market, or kill a Blackened Dagger carrying these poisons.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Midnighters specialize in blades in the night. They are sneakers, stealthy men and women who will hide in their targets homes unseen for days, weeks, until the target is alone, at night. The Midnighters claim to fame is that their best assassins can get to anyone, anywhere. They will kill that person in the dead of night, when they are alone. They will enter and exit without leaving a trace, and the only evidence of their presence will be a dead target.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Tumblers are less subtle. More a mercenary guild than an assassins guild, each assassin is a superb fighter, one of the best in their field. A single Tumbler can turn the tide of a battle, or wipe out a small garrison by themself, if conditions are not set completely against them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Cold House is built in the center of a frost geyser field, thus earning its name. The monks who train there can do things that no mortal should be able to, achieve feats that would even stump most Sketchers. They do not come cheap, and they take only specific jobs, but when they take on a job it can almost be guaranteed to be completed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Silent are an order of priests. They worship their goddess of death, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pray</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for the deaths of their victims. Nobody knows how they do it; the common thought is that they use natural herbs to create poisons that kill, or set up circumstances such that the target dies, but no mortal hand is ever seen killing their targets. Yet, within a week, a month, never longer than a year, the target will die an unfortunate, and unavoidable, death, whether by disease, heart failure, sudden accident, or something less normal.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Sigil Bearers are the most terrifying of the assassins. Rogue Sigiled Knights, they use their Sigils to destroy their targets in their own unique ways. While most assassins strive for anonymity, Sigil Bearers are known, at least because of their unique abilities and roots as Sigiled Knights.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The three most famous Sigil Bearers are Zexcen Stormbrow, a descendant of Alanna Stormbrow the great hero, Aramos Deephollow, bearer of the Sigil of Momentum, and Exas the Betrayer, fatally wounded eons ago, yet still “living”, and killing, courtesy of his Sigil of Bodily Desires.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are three rules that all assassin guilds follow: Kill all assassins who are not members of one guild or another; kill anyone who fails to pay you, and aid your fellow guild members in doing so if necessary; never, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ever</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, take out a contract on royalty.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The third rule dates back to the reign of Eo the Vengeant, a king of Lomwar. His father was killed by assassins in a failed bid at the throne by a noble.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Eo mustered his soldiers, his Sketchers and Beshadowed, and declared war on the guild that carried out the hit, the Accusers. The Accusers at first fought back, killing time and again, but Eo pursued them, destroying their safe houses, killing their members one by one, until they were forced to flee Lomwar.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In his rage, Eo appealed to the other monarchs of the Torin Islands. Appealed not only to their sense of justice and greed (for he offered a reward for each dead Accuser), but to their fear; what would happen if it was known that assassins could kill monarchs with no penalty?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Torin Islands united under one cause for the second time in as many millenia. The Accusers were hunted to the last, the final member finally being caught thirty years after the death of Eo’s father.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Since then no assassin has attempted to murder a royal, and anyone who brings such a contract is delivered to the royal they wanted dead, to face justice.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Only two men are exempt from the first rule of assassin guilds: the brothers who now serve Natasi.</span></span>wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-22322927844929226092015-05-23T20:53:00.002-07:002015-05-23T20:53:32.478-07:00DisclaimerHey all!<br />
<br />
So, it has been quite a while since I've updated this.<br />
Now, I doubt that is an issue for many of you (if any of you). If it is, I am terribly sorry.<br />
But my point is, my writing style has changed a bit in the past year.<br />
So, if you're reading something ongoing (Like Sigilian, my only ongoing thing to my knowledge), and suddenly the style changes, then that is why. Up until around chapter 30 (not including interludes) was written last summer; new content starts sometime after that.<br />
<br />
I'll be posting other things as I write them, but most of the posts are going to be from Sigilian for the time being.wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-24408614579212316472015-05-23T18:56:00.001-07:002015-05-23T18:56:26.417-07:00Sigilian: Interlude #1: Destria<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Interlude: Destria</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-093b5943-83a2-2347-8bdc-3271a4b90824" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Destria is an island nation forged during the Aeon War.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">When Gandon the Ravager brought his fleet to the shores of what was then the Independent Duchies of Trial, Lady Tasha Destria, the current Duchess of a small mountainous area known for its abundance of Sigil Bearers, decided that she would not let the island fall so easily to the hordes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gathering the independent Sigil Bearers of her land, she forced them to swear allegiance to her, utilizing the Sigil of Links to bind them to their word.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In this way the practice of Sigil Bearers being lords and bannermen was begun.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The in-fighting that so plagued Sigil Bearers set aside, she began to train her now loyal servants as the first company of Sigiled Knights. The highly disciplined knights started out in the gardens of Lady Destria’s estate, reciting poems and scripture in concert to learn about timing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">While she trained her Sigiled Knights, Gandon was tearing through duchy after duchy, the knights, soldiers, and independent Sigil Bearers of the nations falling before his barbarians like wheat before the scythe.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tasha had counted on the Ravager to follow his usual pattern; raid a coastal area to a depth of five days march inland, then retreat to his ships; weigh anchor, move along the coast, and begin to raid again. If he had been willing to leave his ships behind and strike further inland, he would never have been defeated. But he feared mutiny, and so was never too far from his ships that he felt he could not catch them before they sailed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This meant that there were territories that those fleeing could find safe haven in. The inner duchies were swamped by refugees, many coming to the “safe haven” that Tasha Destria’s realm was rumoured to be.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the swells of refugees grew, so too did Tasha’s domain. Mobilising her soldiers she declared war on the nearest Duchy lest they aid her by sending supplies. They refused, and she field tested the new Sigiled Knights, herself leading the assault from atop her charger.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After she cut her way through three ranks of her neighbours soldiers without taking casualties, she accepted his surrender, and had him, and all his independent Sigil Bearers (who were coming to be called Sketchers), swear their allegiance to her, bound by her Sigil of Links.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Each day her armies and domain grew, and each day new Sketchers came into her service, either to create items, use their skills to help pass messages, or to join the Sigiled Knights.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">One year later, Gandon had gotten tired of the coast. However, loathe to leave so much of the island un-ravaged, he did something he had rarely done; he marched further inland.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As he began his march towards the heart of the island, Tasha Destria sent messengers to those Duchies in his path. The messages were simple; bend the knee and I’ll save you.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">When the replies came, begging for her help, the Sigiled Knights were deployed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three hundred Sigiled Knights, along with three thousand soldiers trained to Tasha’s exacting standards, met the Ravager’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">thirty</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> thousand on the field of battle three days after the last duke swore his allegiance.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tasha had chosen the battlefield well; a narrow ravine that removed the advantage of the Ravager’s larger numbers and had high enough walls to prevent flight or ambushes by either side.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At first the Knights held back, Destrian soldiers holding the valley against the charges of the horde.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But as casualties grew, Tasha called for a fighting retreat as her Knights arrived in their specially crafted conveyance.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Castle Destria, her ancestral home, had been converted into a flying fortress using permanent Sigils on the foundations stones. Pieces of rock fell away constantly, outbuilding and the smaller towers sloughed off like snakeskin. But it held together.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As it flew over the edge of the valley the skies darkened, both with the castle, and with arrows, loosed by bowmen and multiplied again and again by the Sigil of Duplication.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The horde began to fall beneath such an onslaught, and then the castle landed in the middle of the battle.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">With the newly landed fortress to rally around, the soldiers surged back to the fight, but they were not needed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The gates of the castle opened, and the Sigiled Knights flowed forth, armoured rider after armoured rider, raining fire, arrows, death and steel on the Horde in equal number.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Great heroes of legend were born that day; Darrien the Many, Wielder of the Sigil of Duplication copied </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">himself</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a thousand times, each one that fell only one of many; Alanna Stormbrow, Wield of the Sigil of Lightning called down a storm to rival the greatest tempests of the world; Karzas Swordmane, Wielder of the Sigil of Blades sending his many swords spiralling around himself, a living whirlwind of death; these and many more legends began that day as the horde of Gandon, that which broke the greatest fortresses of Dunesain and The Continent, itself broke.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gandon himself was cut down by Exas the Betrayer, his wounds superficial when compared to the Sigil of Bodily Perfection; with its leader dead the horde split apart into squabbling flocks that fell to individual armies, both on the islands and wherever they fled to.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Of the island itself, the Independent Duchies were no longer independent. Many of the dukes and duchesses owed fealty to the Lady Tasha Destria.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In fact, many began to call the island “Destria’s Domain”. When the united armies and her Sigiled Knights began hunting down the slave ships out of Lomwar and burning the crews to death, the common folk began to cheer for their saviour, calling her </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Queen</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Tasha.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tasha died without any official heirs; she had never been bothered to find a husband, though she bore many children, each of whom inherited one of the many Sigils she had accrued during her life. The family of her second in command, her most trusted general, ascended the throne after a brief Succession crisis.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Three generations later, the island was called simply “Destria”, and was firmly established as a kingdom.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-69421291540956749302015-05-23T18:55:00.003-07:002015-05-23T18:55:29.707-07:00Sigilian 29<span style="color: white;">29</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian stood at the end of the dock and stared ahead. The waves were lapping against the pilings calmly, gently, and he was enjoying the moment of peace.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">"Laerian"</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The magician turned. Steffan, the boy from the day before was walking towards him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">"You're leaving?"</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">"Yes. My boat is setting out when the tide turns. It was supposed to be going earlier today, but there was a delay. What are you doing here?"</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">"Looking for you. I've been checking all the docks. I just wanted to say, thank you. Again. And to apologize for yesterday"</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">"Angeline's idea?"</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">"Yes. But that doesn't mean that I don't mean it. I really am sorry for how I acted"</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">"No apology necessary Steffan. You saw something that was wrong. And you tried to fix it, refused to accept it. That makes me glad. Its that kind of dedication to what is right that gives me hope for the future. That maybe, if there are more and more people like you who refuse to accept injustice, maybe there'll be a better world someday, and no need for war, fighting, soldiers, and death.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">"So no Steffan, there is no need to apologize. And you can thank me by still standing up for others, so long as you're not risking dying by doing so. Does that sound like a fair thank you?"</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">"As fair as I think either of us will get. I'll try and repay you someday Laerian. Until then, keep the Red Scarf safe"</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian blinked as the boy turned and ran off waving.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He...he had figured out that Laerian was the Red Scarf.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Although, he supposed, after being part of his act the day before it had likely not been too hard to figure out.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He finally waved to the boy, now at the other end of the dock, and turned to board the ship. It was time to leave Belnor behind, for better or for worse.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The gangplank creaked as he climbed it, and the smell of the salt filled his nostrils. Laerian needed to just…enjoy the world more. The call of gulls overhead and the sound of the sails snapping in the breeze as they were put in place. The sun sparkling on the water and the sounds of the town no longer touching him as he tuned them out.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It wasn’t yet time to get going. There were a thousand and one things to do before they could set sail, but just being aboard the ship made him feel like he was doing something. Something heroic, good, something to wash out the deeds that stained his soul.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain! Anything I can do to help us get going faster?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The captain, a big man with bleached hair cropped short, turned to stare down at Laerian from atop the sterncastle.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You a sailor?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Then no. Go to your cabin. We’ll be off with the tide”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian shrugged and headed down the ladder to his cabin, and Tomas’.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As befitted bandit kings, they had booked passage aboard a nicer ship, and booked the two nicest rooms aboard it. It was an extravagant expense that they couldn’t really afford, but it was what they needed. Without a good impression they would be killed before they ever arrived, butchered and thrown to the dogs. This at least gave them a chance.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Striding down the hall, boards creaking under his feet as the ship swayed, Laerian thumped once on Tomas’ door.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Tomas!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A hand fell on his shoulder and Tomas pulled him around with surprising strength.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Don’t use my real name”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Are you in the State?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes. Can’t let our guards down now”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What about when we’re sleeping? And don’t suggest a watch. Nothing is more suspicious than two people with money staying awake all night watching over one another sleep. It is asking for trouble”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I can bar the doors”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No. Just forget about it Tom-sorry. Mardas. Forget about it Mardas, and relax. We won’t be challenged until we’re much closer, let me assure you”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And if you’re wrong?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Then we die. Why don’t you trust me?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">While Laerian had originally wanted to give the younger noble the benefit of the doubt, Tomas was too sour. He was a miserable man who cared for very few things beyond himself. Yes, he seemed to care for Juniper and saving Destria, but that was just because he didn’t want his family's honour to be sullied. It wasn’t even for a particularly good reason.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, he had decided to put up with the man, and he did need him around in order to save Destria. So he didn’t have much choice but to suck it up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas glared at him for another minute, and then pushed past him to get to his door.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Fine. But if I wind up dead because of you, you’re going to regret it”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Plastering a fake grin all over his face Laerian started after the younger man.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That’s excellent news then Mardas! See, this is the first step to developing a long-lasting and profitable partnership! After this perhaps we can go save a different-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The door slamming in his face cut off the rest of his thought.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Eh” Laerian spun towards his own door and continued what was now a monologue “You don’t really have magician material after all. No sense of humour, no emotion really besides anger and rage, and your face is enough to make the younger children scream”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The door opened into a slightly cramped room. The bed was built into the far wall and had rails on the one side to prevent the occupant from rolling out. There were all kinds of silly devices and paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling, and very little room free on the floor for him to walk in. Apparently the best rooms were still not all that good, although at least it had a table and chair as well as the other stuff.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Then again, it was a room, with a real bed, which was a huge luxury aboard a ship. So, he really should not be complaining.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian tossed his bag onto the table and tossed himself onto the bed. It was a painful experience, the bed being thin, but he wasn’t really worried. He was just here to wait.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79234cbd-83a1-4007-0eb6-1fa6f4016071" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The shadows swirled. And burned.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They were cold, and too warm, and dark, and bright. They were everything and nothing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man slipped between a waking nightmare and a dreamless oblivion. He preferred the oblivion, wished for the oblivion when he had the facilities to wish. Most of the time it was just the cold heat and dark light. Contradictions inherent in the flaws of the universe.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">No.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The world was pain, and death.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">No. There is more. There is friendship and loyalty, respect, love, your best qualities. Arrogance, pride, recklessness, and fear, your worst. You are not shadows.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Time to start today shadow-man”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The sibilant voice was always there. The voice of command was sometimes there and sometimes not, but the sibilant one was his tormentor. His slave driver, the whip cracker, the one who controlled his life, who dictated everything.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man stirred, tried to get up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, so you are awake already. That changes things then. Perhaps you have healed faster than I thought”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was the voice again, the sibilant hissing voice that brought pain. The voice that brought the shadows.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man settled for opening his eyes instead of standing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The shadows settled over these too. A veil of darkness, turning the world a pale grey. Tints fell through the edges, fell away and out of his awareness. The colours he did notice were dulled, muted, lifeless. Shapes flickered at the edge of his vision, and in the shadows playing on the ceiling he could see things, hear words coming from them, almost make out what they were trying to tell him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The beams of a boat cabin. He recognized them now. And the rocking…that must be the boat on the sea. So. They had taken him out onto the ocean. That was bad because…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was a reason why it was bad, but the man could not remember it. That was almost worse.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The shadows also made everything sharper, clearer. Looking past his tormentor; he refused to meet the man’s gaze, he stared at the windows. They were larger than most ship-board windows and had good quality glass. Beyond them the man could see the waves cresting, and far above a lone bird circling. All of it was clearer, sharper, more there, than ever before.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Where-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His voice startled him into silence. Deep and raspy from misuse it sounded almost like the sibilant man. He could feel his tormentor looking at him for a long moment before finally continuing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Where are we?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Where are we? Well my dear shadow prince, we’re in the middle of the ocean. As I am sure you can tell. Aboard the ship </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Darker Deeds</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It is a pirate vessel. We’re on our way to Faron Rek to find healers for you, but perhaps that isn’t needed now. It is fortunate for all of us that we found you when we did. You were in a bad way”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">No.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was the voice again, the voice he remembered from before. He did not remember where it came from, whose voice it was, but the man, the Shadow Prince, knew that the voice was important to listen to.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Maybe. He could also not afford to trust it. He could not afford to trust anything after all. Not after what had happened.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He remembered…he remembered a betrayal, or an ambush, a surprise. And there was a half-remembered conversation from between oblivions that made him feel like there had been a greater betrayal by far.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I…was?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, yes. Your memory has perhaps not yet recovered. I assure you though, that in time it will. You had been ambushed by soldiers of Destria. They dealt you a grievous blow, the one you see on your chest”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Shadow Prince looked, and saw it. A long cut from his stomach up to his shoulder, it was leaking shadows like blood. They pooled around it, sunk into it, danced in and out of it…it was a cesspool, a breeding pit, a hole for them to spawn in.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It’s a lie. The soldiers of Destria would never hurt you.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That’s right. They wouldn’t hurt me would they?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Shadow Prince closed his eyes as he tried to remember why, and so he didn’t see the look of anger and annoyance on the sibilant man’s face.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, no, they weren’t supposed to. You were dressed as one remember? It was your job to find out where they were going to be, and how to avoid them, as well as to find a way into the village. You did both very well”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I…remember that. Yes. Being dressed as a soldier”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He opened his eyes again and looked up at the sibilant man. The man had a narrow face, slightly puckered, with high cheekbones. His eyes were sunken, sallow, and shadows seemed to cling to his flesh, much like they did to the Shadow Prince’s. The man’s eyes were completely black, pools of shadow.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Who are you?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Then the more pressing question floated to the surface of the Prince’s mind.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Who am I?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah. I was wondering if you’d remember that. Well, in the order you asked it then. I am Weeros, a Sketcher out of Lomwar. I’m a cousin of the royal family of Lomwar, seventy fifth-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Weeors did not finish his sentence. At his declaration of being out of Lomwar the Prince felt something click. Lomwar was the enemy. Lomwar was always an enemy. And if this man leaked shadows and was a Sketcher he was royalty of Lomwar. He must be killed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince tensed muscles and sat up as Weeros stopped dead, surprised at the recovery.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then the Sketcher began to cough and choke as hands closed around his throat.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You are a Lomwar. You’ll die for that”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Sketcher began to struggle as the Prince’s grip tightened. The man’s fingers flailed wildly, began to Sketch before the Prince closed his other hand around the man’s hand. He could hear bones crack.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had never been this strong before. Had he?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">No. He knew he was never that strong before. Nobody could be normally, especially not after being asleep for so long, being healed, for so long.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince opened both hands and Weeros fell to the ground, his legs giving out as they were suddenly placed in the role of supporting him once more. The Sketcher began to gasp as he lay there crumpled.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What did you do to me? Why am I stronger? You may answer me, or I can kill you. It is up to you. And I want the truth this time. What did you do? Who am I?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man looked up at him as he struggled to draw breath. His left hand cradled the ruins of his right one, and bruises were already forming on his throat where the Prince had grabbed it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Speak. Now. I am losing my patience”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of-of course” The voice was no longer as sibilant, no longer as sinister. Yet even hoarse and rough, it still held the same undertones, if tainted by fear.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You-” his speech was broken by a coughing fit before he continued “You were dying. You had been dealt that wound. Because of who you are, because of your service and because you are the Blood Red Prince, he had me save you. I Sketched at first, just a simple one to maintain your life. But the wound was too much and wouldn’t heal on its own before you died. And it won’t heal if I’ve Sketched a Shadow into you. So the captain had me Permanancy it, made me bind the Shadow into you permanently. It fixed what was wrong with you, healed your wounds and fixed anything else. It’ll have sharpened your vision, improved your hearing, made you stronger, faster, tougher. You can go longer without sleep, and you’ll be able to eat less, hold your breath longer. Everything. You’ve heard of the Beshadowed?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, I don’t, what-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Killers. Murderers. Assassins rumoured to exist but never proved to be real. The enemy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“…Yes. Yes, I have. They’re monsters. They serve at the bidding of their masters, the Sketchers who created them, their controllers. Ruthless killers, assassins. And servants of Lomwar”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince swung his legs over the edge of the bed and grasped Weeros’ shoulders. He lifted the Sketcher upright and stared straight into his face. The black black eyes were inscrutable, revealing nothing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You have still not explain your connection to Lomwar. Explain it now or you die, regardless of how much I do not know”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I was a minor cousin and I left. Became a rogue, a killer for hire, a bandit. I rose through the ranks and was assigned to this ship as its Sketcher. So although I have the powers of the royal family, their Sigilian, to call upon, I am not affiliated with them. Now then-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Finish explaining about me”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah. Yes. Well, the Beshadowed are puppets. But they are deadly, effective in every way. You are the same, but you are not controlled. You have your own free will, as per the captain’s orders. After all, the Blood Red Prince can be beholden to no mere ship’s Sketcher. And so-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Blood Red Prince. What is that? Explain it to me. I know of the Blood Red King” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ruler of pirates, of Faron Rek</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “He is a pirate king, the king of bandits and scum. But what is a Blood Red Prince?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“A Blood Red Prince…well, they are the secret enforcers of the Blood Red King. They do the missions that the others cannot, the jobs that others cannot, they are his hands. Some Kings replace the last Prince while others keep the old one on. Usually they are the toughest of the tough. They are trusted with the tasks that are too sensitive for the others to do. You are one of them, the current King’s Blood Red Prince”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This time Weeros waited to see if the Prince would ask another question. But, luckily for the man the Prince was busy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Lies. Lies. You are no Prince of Shadows, no Prince of Blood, no Prince of Death. You are a Prince of so much more.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A prince of more? But, a prince of what?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His thoughts were interrupted by the door swinging open.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What’s happening here?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was the voice of command. The Prince turned to look. The man was wearing a fine red leather coat, patched with scraps of fine and once rich clothing. But they’re torn, cut, and ripped from where they had once been, and sewn onto the coat.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The result was a horrible patchwork of an outfit, complete with a lacy bit at the end of the right arm but not left, and am old style ruff around the neck. The outfit was completed by an over-large hat in a faded purple.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Lanky blonde hair fell out from under the brim of the hat, partially concealing the face behind.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, Captain, the Prince was just-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Quiet Weeros. I can clearly see that the Prince is awake. Prince, how are you feeling? I am Captain Dashiel”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man extended his right hand as he pulled his hair away with his left hand. Two baleful eyes stared out at the Prince from a lined and weathered face. Thin lips and thick eyebrows only added to the effect.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I…don’t know my name to give to you”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Prince grasped Dashiel’s hand. It was hard, callused, and had a firm grip.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That is fine. We would not dishonour you by doing other than calling you Prince regardless. You are lucky that the Sketcher recognized you, or you would have been left for dead. Now then, have you remembered your own Sketching abilities?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“My own Sketching abilities?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But even as he asked it the knowledge flooded into the Prince’s mind. He had never been a good Sketcher, but he had been able to do so. His Sigilian had been especially powerful, encompassing things like Air, Fire, and many other powerful Sigils. He also knew that so powerful a Sigilian was a symbol of great importance.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Who…who was I? Who was I to command such power, such might? And why did I squander it?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Weeros and the captain exchanged glances, as if unsure as what to say. Misreading their hesitation the Prince took a lunging step towards them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Tell me!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Prince, royalty, one to rule, one to protect. A truant, wasted talent, an arrogant fool.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“How?” His voice was lower, quieter, less angry, but just as desperate, as he spoke to the person in his head, the one who knew the answers “How do I know that you’re telling the truth? How do I know?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Prince?” The captain stepped forwards and placed a hand on the Prince’s shoulder “I apologize, but I do not know. You were, are, a mystery, except perhaps to the Blood Red King. He would be the one who knows who you are, who knows why you are, how you are. And there is no way to know if we are telling the truth. You will just have to believe, or not. It is in your hands regardless”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So, I am someone who does not remember their past. And nobody can tell me what my past is”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That is a lie. One is a liar. One knows. One knows.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The two exchanged looks again, and if there was guilt in their stares, it was understandable.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That is right Prince. Now, we are heading to Faron Rek as we speak, at best speed. You should rest more, as the shadows will still take a large toll on you for the first few days. We shall leave you to it”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They left and the Prince lay down again. The rocking had never gone away, but was more obvious now. Now he could feel it again, the gentle swaying of the ship. It did not surprise him that he had not recognized it while barely conscious. He was more interested in where he did recognize it from now. Where had he been in his past life? Who had he been?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A better person than they will ever be.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And what was the voice inside his head?</span></span>wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-42930987606656852492015-01-17T12:50:00.003-08:002015-01-17T12:50:50.070-08:00Sigilian 28<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens had not managed to get any answers. The bandits had all killed themselves rather than be taken alive, and poor Jom was dead.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which meant that he would have to return to the camp and find out things there. Like why Krendor had left the camp when he had ordered him to stay.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">For some reason he had the feeling that it would be better to address this issue while on the ride back, but they were both busy at the time.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then at the camp, again neither of them was together at the same time, except at meals when he didn’t want to discuss it. A suspicion was forming, halfway there, worming its way into his head. He wasn’t sure where it would lead him, but for now he knew that it was time to keep it under wraps.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was not until the next day, on their way to Relland, that he had time to pull Krendor aside without being obvious about it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Krendor. I’ve a question for you”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Krendor nodded, and the two plodded on in silence for a time. Krendor knew Rens well enough by now to know not to interrupt the captain while he was thinking.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Finally Rens spoke as the town came into view.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Krendor, why did you come along yesterday?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What do you mean?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“In the fight. Why were you with us, and not back at camp”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“…Did you not tell me to?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No. I didn’t. Try and think back. Think about it. Hold the detail in your mind. Think back, or else you’ll be violating your duty, endangering the life of the Prince”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His second sat bolt upright at that and a look of intense concentration settled onto his face.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Again, silence descended for quite some time, until they were almost there. Natasi tried to approach them during that time, but Rems waved her off, much to her obvious annoyance.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I…I can’t remember. I can remember everything else about the day, but not that. Whenever I think of it, really try to, I just end up with the same memory. It just gray, there is no image to go along with it, but you’re saying ‘Krendor, bring along the third group as well. The fourth group can guard Natasi just fine’. And then there is a feeling that if I don’t go with you you’ll be killed, a fear that this time you won’t be able to handle things”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He looks over at the captain and frowns.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I don’t know. I don’t know why I can’t remember more, but there is nothing else there. I’m sorry”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Its ok Krendor. Thats all that I wanted to know”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So someone was altering memories, thoughts, feelings. Although this time it had worked in Rens’ favour; without the third group and Krendor they likely would have been defeated by the bandits. It was good that luck was, for once, favouring him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But who could it be? It was obvious that they were Sketching to do it, but who had a Sigil that could control emotions, plant false memories? He had never heard of something like that, ever. He would have to ask the next scholar he ran into. For some reason he didn’t want to ask Natasi. Although it was likely that she might know, being a Sketcher herself, he had a feeling that she was not trustworthy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Wait”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes sir?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“There’s something there…something that isn’t right. There is a, a hole, a problem with something I just thought. Its right there, its on the tip of my tongue but…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No. Its gone”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“If you remember anything sir, or figure out what is going on, tell me. And I’ll double check my orders with you from now on”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Good idea. Now then, go organize the troops, and hold them here. I’m going into town”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Krendor saluted as Rens kicked his horse into a trot.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He reached the bottom of the hill at the same time as Natasi and a few men from the fourth group. Waving a few men from the first group forwards he fell in beside her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was odd that she always had the fourth group with her, but hadn’t he assigned them to her in the first place?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Why was nothing making sense right now? Why did every thought echo in his head three times over before fading away entirely?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And the amulet was never from his chest now, day or night, he kept it on. If he left it there much longer it might get stuck to his skin permanently.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain Rens”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi’s smile is sickly and obviously fake. She gestures towards the village.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“If you’re quite done with your little conference then perhaps we can enter?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course”</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-a549c74f-f9a9-7661-57ab-91bbfd2d4c17" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi scowled at Rens as he rode ahead, dismounting at the inn and wandering in with his soldiers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Sigil of Clairvoyance had served her well this time. She had heard most of the conversation between the captain and his second.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So, he suspected something did he?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Well, that made it all the more important to finish him, and soon.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, she could not afford to delay any longer either. She needed to find Robert, before the assassins had Hiros launch the bandits against the Free Lords.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And, by all accounts, the war still had not started.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Well, when the bandits landed with a Destrian Border tower, wearing Destrian tabards, the Free Lords would assume that the worst had happened.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">War would begin as the bandits on Destria, wearing carefully gathered uniforms of individual Free Lord guards, attacked as one.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">With Hiros installed as the Blood Red King she could coordinate the actions of the bandits like never before. And with the assassins as his guards he would be untouchable. It would be simplicity itself to keep the war going.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And of course, Lomwar and the other habitual enemies of Destria would not take long to join the fighting.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At that point she would have the bandits retreat, go back into hiding until the time was right for Robert to return at the head of a conquering army.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Of course, the army would be nothing more than bandits, but it would still be good enough to look impressive.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He could then transfer to take command of the entire war effort, and he could start bringing peace back to the islands.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And, by that point Hiros would be unneeded. The assassins would leave to kill his parents, and Hiros would be set upon by the dozens of pirates who want the title of the Blood Red King.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Smiling Natasi stepped into the general store. Rens may have wanted to search the inn, but she figured that the owner of the general store would have a better memory of those who passed through looking to buy a horse, lots of food, and the like.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Hello there! Ah, ma’am, could you leave your guards outside? Too many weapons in the store makes me nervous”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi turned to stare down at a small man. He smiled at her for a moment before beginning to wilt under her unrelenting stare.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Its uh, just a question. Thats all. If you really insist you don’t need to”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Have you seen this man recently?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She described Robert as the man cowered back from the three soldiers with her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Perhaps? I don’t quite…what would he have been buying?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Supplies for a long journey”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, I don’t…Ah yes! Soldier!” The storekeeper snaps his fingers and begins to talk “There was a man, called himself Soldier. He asked for lots of food, and for a map. I ended up giving him directions to Brell, little port on the Desser. He was going to be…”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The storekeeper slowed, then stared at the guards, the weapons, and Natasi suspiciously.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Why are you asking?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“He ran away from home. I’m hoping to marry him, and so I set out after him. The captain of his house guard is also here, he’s just in the inn down the street”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Well, I’m sorry. I, just can’t remember the route he was going to take”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man was obviously lying. He either did not trust her, or he could tell that something was off.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She smiled a predatory smile as she reached over and grabbed him by the neck, nails digging in.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, I think you do remember. Gentlemen, guard the door, and hold him down. I’ll let you figure out the particulars”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, no, wait, please, I really don’t!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course you don’t”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The soldiers sneered as they grabbed the man and held him in place. She had chosen these three because they were so far gone they wouldn’t even become suspicious if they saw her Sketching. They were hers to the core now.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A quick Sketch later, just enough of one to make him trust her, and she had the soldiers ‘help him up’ from the ground.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Oh, are you ok?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She plastered a look of fake concern over her face as she brushed some dust off of his shirt front.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I can’t believe you fell down. Just as you were going to get a map to show me the path Soldier was going to take”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, yes, so I was”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The little man scurried back behind the counter and pulled out a sheet of paper.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Soon he had marked the route he had suggested to Robert.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And that was all that Natasi needed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“My thanks sir. Here is payment for the map”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She dropped a gold mark on the counter. It was likely enough to buy everything in this shop, but she didn’t have time to make make change.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She had a prince to catch.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rocking back and forth.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That was the first thing he was aware of.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rocking back and forth, and eyelids that were too heavy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man tried to open those eyes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He succeeded for long enough to see shadows above him, moving back and forth, people. Above them was a brown sky.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then the rocking pulled his eyes closed again as he began to slip back into the darkness that was his new home.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Keep him alive longer. He’s important. Weave the Shadows deep, you hear? I want him to be able to survive all the way there. And then he needs to be able to walk the maze on his own”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A harsh voice, one used to having its orders followed, one that was a voice of command. Like his father’s.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His father? Who was his father?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then another voice chased all thoughts away. Sibilant, low, dangerous, filled with a promise of pain.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course. I have no intention of letting our prize die on us”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A line of ice carved its way across the man’s chest, and then he fell back into the darkness.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-15919113985935838512015-01-10T23:24:00.000-08:002015-01-10T23:24:46.543-08:00Sigilian 27<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">27</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-2a60e84b-d7e0-65de-acf2-a1e4acc39c93" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas held the knife up to the light.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was beautiful, made with such precision and care. It had survived so many fights, already too many. It bore a few scratches now, nicks in the blade, but he knew that at its core it was the same as when he had first received it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was not like him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He bore nicks and scratches now, yes. But he was not the same.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had changed in some indefinable way.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His core burned now. Burned with a fiery rage, burned with the desire to right the wrong against his family. He would defeat those who had thought to use him as a tool.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would see that they were destroyed, crushed, buried deep in an unmarked grave.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They would die.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros was only the first step, Hiros and Faron Rek.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He sheathed the knife and sat down at the small desk. Paper ready he pulled out the Sigiled pen and entered the State.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The pen flared to life and he began to compose a letter home.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It warned of the plot, and told of his plans and what he had already done.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He told all that he knew, left out nothing, but spared the details. They did not need to know what had been done to the captives, they did not need to know that he planned to betray Laerian should the need arise. They did not need to know that should the need arise he was prepared to die.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas blinked and looked up at the window.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He still feared death, the loss of his loved ones. But he was committed now. He would be hurt, he would experience pain, he might even die, but he had committed himself. This goal, this cause, would not be abandoned. He would not let it fall by the wayside. He would not let his fears, or Laerian’s past, stop them from saving the Islands.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would succeed, or he would die trying.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He signed the letter, and pulled out another paper. He had a few more copies of it to write before the day was through.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian stood atop the inn. It was easy to get up there, even without his scarves. The scaffolding made it easy to get anywhere in this city quickly enough.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was known here, apparently. He was known in both his guises, the street magician and the Red Scarf, the avenging vigilante.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He knew that there were bards tales about him. He knew that everyone knew the Red Scarf, that everyone wondered who the mysterious figure was.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He knew that the Red Scarf was, by many, hated and feared.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian looked west at the setting sun. It burned bright, hurting his eyes, but he still stared at it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was beautiful, and dangerous, intense and bright. It gave hope but could deal death just as easily.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That was what the Red Scarf was to others.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had not heard the rumours nor the songs before today.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had not heard the name Red Scarf before today.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But apparently Belnar had missed its masked man enough to give him songs. He had become famous and feared all at once, without even trying.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had not even done very much. He’d saved Tomas from the dockworkers when he first arrived. He’d taken out part of a group of bandits on the way out of town. He’d done a few other things, saved those who were being mugged or beaten up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But he really had not done enough to justify the songs about him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Apparently when he was leaving someone had seen him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was going on some quest now, some epic quest to save the city from the bandits out there.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Or, the bandits had only gotten in his way and he needed to save a beautiful woman from an evil plot.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Or, he was chasing down the murderous Free Lord, a man with an eyepatch and horrible scars.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That last one had him worried.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">If the bards were already singing of Tomas and his villainy, if not of the specific crime, then they had less time than he had hoped for.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They needed to hurry.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. By the time he opened his eyes again the sun had finished setting.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They had a boat to catch early in the morning.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was time to sleep.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros stepped through the far gate of the wall.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And into the inner city.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It fell away below him, bright lights in the darkness of the caverns below the mountain. Down, down, level after level of city carved into the cliffs on the far side of the cavern.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Of course it was on the far side of the cavern, and there was only one way to cross. Leaning out a bit he could see the network of bridges and crossings below suspended between this cliff and the other side.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Do you know your way through the caves as well?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes. Lets go”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Once past the wall one had to find their way through a network of twisting caverns and tunnels. Lots of the tunnels brought you to bridges across. But some of those bridges didn’t actually lead anywhere, and some of the tunnels would suddenly slope, drop out from under you, and throw you down into the bottom of the cavern, a sure death if there ever was one.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Lets go then”</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The trek was long but finally the two emerged onto a stony ledge. The posts for a bridge sat at the edge, and ahead the lights of the den of villains glittered in the darkness of the cavern. The assassin carried a torch as he set out across the bridge.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Sure this bridge is safe?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Hurry up”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ok, ok, just checking”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros tested it first, then stepped onto it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It didn’t break.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ok, good”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Setting off after the assassin he looked up. Above, at the top of the city, a large structure glowed. It was not visible from the top of the cliff on this side, and could best be seen from down here. It was supposed to impress everyone crossing into the Inner City. The Blood Red King’s palace.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Soon, if everything went to plan, Hiros would be up there looking down on the city.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Of course, if things did not go according to plan he would be dead, and the assassins would need to find a new pawn.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Such were the risks of the business.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Are we going to go right away? Like, we waiting for anything, or are we just going to go up there, fight the guards, and then install me on the throne? Because I think it’d be better if we took some time to figure out the lay of the land, make sure that we know-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We’re acting tonight. We’re going to wait long enough for everything to be in place, and then we issue the challenge”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So…how will we know when everything is in place?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“He’ll tell me. You just need to look fearsome until then, but keep your intentions quiet. It would not do to have you assassinated before we can begin the plan. Understand?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes, perfectly”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros frowned as the pair continued across the bridge. He truly had no more say in his life.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And worse, he still did not know why they wanted him as the Blood Red King. He was to take control for some nebulous reason which had not yet been revealed to him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And the assassin had brought along the pens.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Whatever their plans were they were perhaps coming to fruition.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That scared him. It scared him more than he cared to admit, that the likes of Natasi and the assins were getting what they wanted, that they were finally forging their new world.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And Hiros could only pray that in the new world he would remain necessary, and remain free.</span></span></div>
<br />wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-77900554748740967322015-01-10T23:23:00.001-08:002015-01-10T23:23:31.192-08:00Apologies, and hopesHey all! So. I'm aiming to start writing again.<br />
And by all I mean however very few people actually read this.<br />
Anyways, yes, going to start writing again.<br />
I'll try and do weekly updates. Depending on how often I get to write, it may move up to bi-weekly, but never more than that.<br />
Anyways, yah. New year, new writing.wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-66996890001781996382014-08-03T21:39:00.002-07:002014-08-03T21:39:29.424-07:00Sigilian 23, Siglian 24, Sigilian 25, Sigilian 26<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">100th post! Thought I'd make a big deal about it. Sorry about the delay in updates.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">23</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-2ffb65a3-9f4f-8df7-93fa-4be3b5df4505" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert rode through the pass with caution.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He knew that it would be a good place for an ambush, and he did not want to be caught in one. Not without having a chance to Sketch and without any armour of any kind.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, he passed through without incident and looked down at the small village below.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Nestled between the foothills of two mountains it was small, beautiful, and safe. A wall at the front and the natural walls of the mountain prevented it from being attacked by bandits making it a haven in an otherwise dangerous area.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And of course, the fact that it was a haven, safe from bandits while you were inside meant that it was a popular destination with travelers. Which meant that there were even more bandits in the area ready and waiting to prey on the unaware.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was a bad cycle, but, he had learned, was fairly common.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Why was Destria so inept at taking care of the bandit problems that plagued it?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Yes, it was mountainous and forested providing many places where they could hide and run to, and a smaller group could always outmaneuver and flee a large army.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, that was why there were border towers! Or if the border towers were failing to work then launch the War Fortress! The bandits could not hide forever, could not run forever.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“But I suppose it has something to do with this ‘Faron Rek’ I keep hearing about”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert shook his head as he spurred his horse down off the rise. Even if there had not been an ambush it would not do to outline himself against the sky or mountains for too long. The villagers had impressed upon him many times that one never knew who was watching.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had been to three villages so far. Each of them was small, quaint and beautiful. They each had their own special qualities. He had stayed the night in several, and taken away an idea that there were many good places out here in Destria. Good places filled with good people who were trying to deal with bad situations.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">How could his parents, the nobility be so blind?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He kept coming back to that one thought.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">How could there be so many bandits and the army not do anything about it?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">True, the bandits hid when the armies passed by.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Then keep the armies marching! If the bandits are always hiding then they will not be attacking caravans and towns, plundering and pillaging the homes of the villagers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They wouldn’t be killing Destria slowly but surely.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His hands tightened on the reins, the leather creaking. The sun shone down through leaves overhead, a pattern of spots and blemishes on the cool brown soil and green of ferns. To either side of the road nature was beautiful and wild, at one with itself, at peace. Yes. things died, yes, there were predators and prey, but one type of animal did not consume others of its kind because it didn’t want to bother hunting.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Infections were not allowed to survive, and the sick and the weak were culled from the herd by others. Those that brought in diseases were not allowed to stay around.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Nature knew how to deal with the outliers, those that did not contribute.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Why did humanity have so much trouble with it then?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Why could humanity not seem to do what it needed to survive?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">How come his parents, the dukes, anyone and everyone, could ignore the problems or just pretend that there was no way to solve them?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That would change, he vowed. Here in sight of nature he would vow to fix it, to make humanity more like nature, to cut out the weeds and fix Destria.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Stopping his horse he drew his sword to do just that.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was getting down when he heard the clip-clop of hooves on stones coming up the road towards him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Curious and wary he finished dismounting and led his horse into the woods.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Looping the reins around a branch he snuck back and crouched in the undergrowth to see who was approaching.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A horse came into view. A man sat atop it, sword laid across his shins. He had a hard and cruel look about him, his features set in a scowl. Dressed in boiled leather and a hodge-podge of mismatched clothing, once finery now dirty and torn, Robert pegged him as a bandit.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After a moment’s inspection he had to amend his description. The man was not only a bandit but perhaps also a slaver.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A young man stumbled along after the horse, rope binding his hands together. Another rope ran around his neck and to the back of the man’s saddle.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The captive was struggling to keep up, each step the horse took requiring another three lurches of his own. He was not wearing shoes, or if he had been they were worn away. His feet looked to be a bloody mess, he looked dead tired, and parched.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert flew into a rage at first, but then was flooded with a sudden cold fear. The bandit had turned allowing him to see the loaded crossbow that the man carried. If he went out he’d be shot for sure.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So, he couldn’t rush out to save the captive.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which meant that something else was required.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This was the first time Robert had ever been in a real fight, the first time he had ever actually been directly in danger.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And that was fine. He didn’t care about getting hurt himself.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But someone else was relying on his success? What if he failed them?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His hands were shaking, he felt too cold and too hot, he was shivering. Sounds seemed to be coming from a ways away and he felt like everything was sharp and clear and at the same time fuzzy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had never experienced anything like it before, and he never wanted to again. Fear, adrenaline, rage, all surging mixing within him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was almost impossible to enter the State like this, but he forced himself to do so, teetering on the edge of falling out of it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But he would not. Not right now. He needed to stay in it to Sketch.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Retreating back a ways so that he could run ahead without risking them hearing him he thought about what he could do.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He needed to disable the man as a certainty. He couldn’t risk a chance that he would turn and hrt the captive.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At the same time, he couldn’t risk hurting the captive either. And he would like to try and save the horse so that he and the captive could both ride.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was going to need to be Fire then. Nothing else would solve all the conditions.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would need to aim it perfectly, and then run to cut the rope before the horse bolted. He didn’t want to save the captive from being captured only to hang him by accident.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So…yes. He could do it if he had his sword ready and was ready to run the moment he finished.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Since he didn’t trust himself to strike true with his left hand, strike hard enough and well enough to cut the rope the first try then he would need to use that to Sketch.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Silently thanking Master Turendar for forcing him to do so he dropped down behind the brush again and started Sketching.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He spun his fingers through the intricate Sigil of Fire. It was actually less complicated than the Sigil of Air but he had practiced it less and it required a lot more effort to get even the smallest results.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And he was not trying to get a small result.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The horse was nearing as he drew the second last arc. Then he waited until the man was right before him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His breath was coming increasingly fast and he could hear the beat of his blood in his ears like drums beating, too loud, too fast, too close. It was all down to his moment, and if he failed…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">What if he wasn’t fast enough? What if he missed or the horse darted away and he cut the wrong thing? What if the bandit survived and shot the captive?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He couldn’t fail now. Not now.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man was before him now. Almost past. He couldn’t put it off any longer. He needed to act now!</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He finished the last sweep and pushed outward with his hand. The Sigil dissolved in a roaring torrent of flame that swept the man off the horse’s back and flung him into the woods, smoking and charred. Even as the horse reared and began to lunge forwards Robert dashed from his hiding place, his sword sweeping down.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the horse began to leap ahead he sliced the captive free with his sword and grabbed onto the rope with his left hand. The horse lurched, and he was pulled from his feet, skidding a few feet before he managed to get his feet back under him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Pulling against the horse it slowed for a moment, long enough that he could let go without being flung forwards and seriously hurting himself.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He still tumbled and smacked his knee pretty badly, but it was not as bad as it could have been.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The horse stopped about sixty more feet down the road, but Robert was busy turning back to the captive.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It took him a moment to locate the man, trying to scramble through the bushes, seemingly mad with fear.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Hey, wait up!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert stood and began to move after the man, but had to stop instead.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The drum beats of his heart had faded and things were returning to normal, his heightened senses fleeing, and it just left him feeling…drained.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Wait! Wait, I’m here to help!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He forced himself to start moving again and jogged towards the captive who had finally stopped.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Its ok, don’t worry. I killed the bandit, and you’ll be safe now. Want me to cut the bonds for you?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man took a few steps out onto the road, wincing at the pain in his feet now that he had time to think.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You…you threw Fire”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes, I did. It Sketched, as I am a Sketcher”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That means you’re a noble!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah…yes. I suppose I am”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He hadn’t meant to tell anyone, especially not someone he didn’t know. Trying to fix the slip he continued on before the captive could speak.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“But I’d rather you keep that a secret for the moment. I would not like to be targeted by those who wanted to steal from me or hold me hostage anymore than the next man. But, I can see you’re hurt. How can I help? What can I do? And do you need any food?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But as Robert stepped closer, the man stepped away again.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You’re a noble. Why don’t you do something about the bandits? I was trapped, dragged behind that horse for a week. He barely fed me. He-he-he”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man broke. His hands flew to his face and he collapsed to the ground sobbing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“They, they, they killed them! They killed them all! They they were there and then we ran and then the fire and we ran but we didn’t and I saw them, and then oh god! Why me? Why us? Why why why did this happen! Its its too much its too much I can’t, I can’t I can’t, why? Why? What did we do to deserve this? What did we do to deserve the bandits, why can’t you stupid damned nobles do anything? Why can’t you just do something about them, why can’t you root them out or burn their homes, or something? Protect us if you can’t find them, set guards on villages build walls, escort caravans, something”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He pulled his hands down to point at Robert as his voice rose to a scream.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Anything! Just do something to stop them from being killed!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His arm quivered as he glared at the prince, rage and despair written in equal parts on his face. Tears continued to stream down his cheeks, his rag of a shirt wet from the flow.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Why? Why don’t you do something?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He began to sob again, deep, wrenching sobs.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And Robert didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to console someone who had lost everything.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens might. Branwen or Rackam maybe. But not him. Not him, not Madison, not his parents, not anyone he knew, not any noble.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Because none of them had really suffered loss. The last time he had talked to someone who was sobbing it had been Marie. And she had been crying because the person she loved didn’t love her back.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Her loss was nowhere near what this poor man had suffered. Nothing any of the had known was, and nothing ever would be.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He sheathed his sword and crouched down next to the man.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I am sorry for what you have had to go through. And I swear that as soon as I return home I shall change things. I’ll make sure that the armies are mobilized, and that if they don’t clear out the bandits that they at least provide protection. I’ll see about building walls around every town, village, and hamlet to keep it safe, provide guards, or weapons and training, something to keep this land safe from those who plague it. I swear on the graves of my grandparents, on my line, and on my Sigilian that I shall do whatever is in my power to help you, and all people of Destria”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man looked up. There was not hope in his eyes, but maybe something akin to it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I am sorry that it will come too late to help you, but there are others who can be protected from the same fate. And you still have a life to live. Now, can I cut your bonds? Then I’ll bring my horse over and I’ll get you some food”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man nodded.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After cutting the bonds Robert led his horse over. Going through the saddlebags he found the plainest and stalest bread he could find.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Histories and books had taught him that much at least. When on an empty stomach, eat and drink but sparingly, and then the least rich food possible.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He placed the food on a handkerchief then went to get the other horse.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">By the time he brought it back the man seemed to have composed himself.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Looking at him now Robert could see that he was barely a man. Just a youth, maybe sixteen.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And, he looked just like his old friend Matios. That a man he met by chance, then freed, should look so like his second-oldest friend was a bizarre coincidence indeed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m Marlan, but I’ve been going by Soldier”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He extended his hand. Instead of taking it the captive looked at it suspiciously, then to the food.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I can’t pay for it, if thats what you want”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What? No! Its yours, eat it”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“The nobles never give anyone anything for free”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Well, I am. Eat it, it’ll be fine, I’m not trying to take anything from you or have you owe me”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, thats true. If you wanted something you’d just steal it with one hand while giving me a pat on the back with other. Bloody nobles”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He took the bread and waterskin and began to tear into it. While he talked, he spoke.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“M’names Brethan. Last name won’t matter to you ‘m sure”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He paused to swallow the bite and stuff his mouth again. This time he finished it and washed it down before speaking.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“They came down on us a week ago. Out of the forest, middle of the night. As many of us as could ran. I don’t think anyone escaped. I had my little brother in my arms, was with my ma and sister”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He began to choke up again, but pushed on.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We were run down and caught. I don’t know where they took my ma and sis. But they…they took him and I saw, I saw”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He began to cry again. Robert took the waterski and bread, gently placed them on the handkerchief and patted the man on the back. As he kept crying he eventually sat down beside and pulled him into a hug. It seemed the right thing to do.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert didn’t say anything, and Brethan just kept crying.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><br /></span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">24</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens took a step backwards and planted his feet.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was muddy, everyone was slipping, and the bandit was not giving him any room.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He brought his shield up to deflect the blow, and with a crash the man’s axe went wide.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Too slow his sword came around in a counterstrike; the man had already recovered and pulled back enough. Blocking the sword with his axe haft the bandit snarled.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was a big man, broad, tall, and with arms like the proverbial tree trunks. A scar sealed one eye, and should have given Rens an advantage. But the mud and his heavy armour conspired with a surprise ambush and the sudden ineptitude of his comrades.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Why they had decided to flounder through a muddy valley despite his warnings he would never know. And Natasi couldn’t be blamed; she had stayed behind at the camp.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So it was something else this time. And somehow the scouts had all managed to be killed before they could report anything.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So now they were surrounded by bandits that were coming out of the hills, leaping down to attack them. An arrow volley had taken out a lot of them and left the remainder with fewer allies than they needed to win the fight.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens had slowly been trying to get them all to gather in the middle, but for the moment it was no good.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was too bogged down in his own fight to worry about the overall battle. Once he had a moment to breathe he would do his best to rally the others.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And why the bandits were even attacking was another question that needed to be answered.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They’d take too many losses fighting an armed and prepared band of soldiers, even if they did take them by surprise. And there was no profit in it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Something was definitely going on in Destria, but he didn’t have time for that right now.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As his sword rebounded off the axe’s haft he decided it was time for some a desperate action.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Instead of letting it come up he smashed it back down. The bandit pushed back, but he kept his sword in the notch he had just cut. It became a contest of strength now. Whether the bandit could push him back faster than he could cut through the haft.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sweat beading on his face beneath his helm he leaned into the blade, putting all his weight into it, knowing that the bandit was trying to do the same.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Even if he weakened the haft enough then it would be a success. Unless of course he lost his sword or let the distraction get him stabbed. That was the only problem with his helmet. It limited his peripherals, reduced his vision to what was in front of him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But raising the visor would be worse. He needed the protection, needed the layer of separation from the battle so that he could think with that much less distraction. And he needed to not be vulnerable. to being spat at or other tricks.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the bandit’s face came closer and closer, the two leaning more heavily into their weapons now Rens suddenly pulled back.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the bandit staggered forwards, the counterbalance gone, Rens snapped his shield up and over.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was a hard move with something so large and unwieldy, but this time it worked.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was a satisfying clank as the shield connected with the man’s unprotected head.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Yet another reason to wear a helmet.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Yanking his sword free from the unconcious or dead man’s axe Rens spun to find his next opponent.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rule one of battle: Always keep your opponents guessing. If that means deceiving yourself, or changing your plans at the last minute, then so be it. The less you know the less they’ll be able to predict your motions. It was that simple.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He spotted another bandit locked in combat with his second, Krendor.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And beyond those two, another bandit looking for someone to fight.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Well, he had his plans.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">With a roar he charged towards the second bandit, cutting close by the first.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the man turned to cut at Rens Krendor took advantage of it, his blade flying high in the air to dent the man’s helm. As the bandit fell senseless Krendor spun to find another, barely sparing Rens a nod.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The two knew that there were more important things in battle than empty pleasantries and things like thanks. Like surviving.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Another thought flitted through his brain at that moment. Why was Krendor even along? He should have left the man in charge of the camp. And thinking back, he was fairly sure that he had. And then he passed him by, and the moment passed as well.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The second bandit turned and lifted her blade. The fact that it was a woman almost gave Rens a moment of pause. Not because he would not hurt a woman, but because female bandits were so rare. The always lecherous male bandits that predominated meant that only a woman who was stronger, faster, or craftier, than all the others there would survive.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which meant that any female bandit would be especially dangerous.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But she still needed to be killed, and better he face her than someone less experienced did.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His sword came down in an overhand chop, but at the last moment swerved to come down at an angle. If she fell for the feint he’d have a chance to slash at her hand.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She didn’t, her own sword angling to catch it. Instead of letting him lock the blade she also pulled it away, darting back a step or two as her other hand drew a main-gauche. She dropped into more of a duelists or fencers stance.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Neither style suited the other, his straightforwards and with long heavy strikes she could easily dodge or turn aside, hers with sharr short jabs that worked best with gaps in armour, something that Rens’ heavy plate lacked. It was going to be a longer fight unless either of them could find a way to settle things quickly.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He dropped into a crouch, not deigning to circle, instead making himself the center of hers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">While it would give her an advantage with the maneuvering he couldn’t afford to lose his footing in the mud.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">If he slipped it’d all be over, and no amount of heavy plate or Sigil-warding amulets would help him then.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She drew her blades outwards, then darted in.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His shield turned aside her rapier as his sword came at her leg. The main-gauche caught it, slowing it enough so that she could leap over it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As she did so her rapier rolled over his shield and into his chest plate.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Luckily it barely even scratched the metal before he slammed his shield into her chest.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The woman staggered backwards, seemingly stunned by the blow. Eager to end the fight Rens leapt forwards, sword leading once more, only to find that she was not stunned after all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Her blade leapt out trying to foul in his legs, but he stabbed his sword into the ground and used it as a crutch. Managing to stay upright he swung the shield towards where her rapier should be coming in again, then grunted as her main-gauche found a gap that his stance had opened.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He pulled back, tearing his sword from the ground as she spun away, dagger red with his blood.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was not a deep wound, but it would bleed. It would kill him slowly, if nothing else.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Grunting in frustration at his own overeagerness he took a wary step forwards. She danced back too, maintaining the distance between them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Enjoying the fight sir knight?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The words were flippant but the tone was not. Rens could tell that the bandit could put venom and iron into her tone. She was a woman used to having her questions answered and orders obeyed. The leader perhaps? Or a second at the very least.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Nobody likes it when they are ambushed”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Well, I am sorry for raining on your parade then. Of course, our rain was decidedly more deadly than the usual stuff. Or does the normal stuff make you rust in all that steel?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She leapt in again, blades flashing. Sword to the left, shield across in front of his body, then out to the left, trade with the sword as the sword catches the dagger again. Rapier will come up so shield goes down, let it past, sword back to the left, cut at her arm.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The motions flew by, a dance of death both choreographed and performed by the combatants from second to second.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens knew that some thought of battle that way. He didn’t.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He thought of it as a hell all its own, bloody, smelly, sweaty, terrifying and louder than it needed to be. There was nothing in it that redeemed it, no rush that he couldn’t get from rock climbing or making love, no chance for anything but death.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Even the glory won in battle was not for him, stained as it was with the blood of others.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Now, Rens wasn’t a pacifist. But he didn’t believe in taking glory from the death of another. It was their choice to go into battle, so he did not take the opinion that it was to honour them. It was because battle was too dirty to have anything like glory in it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was just death, death, and more death.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The exchange finished the woman stepped back. He had nicked her arm, and she had not landed another hit on him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">While it was not equivalent to the stab it was better than nothing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The two paused for a moment. The fighting had carried them more towards the rest of the fight, or perhaps the fight had come to them. Either way, there were now others around them. It would require paying more attention to their surroundings and less to each other, which could be fatal.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This time when the woman began to circle Rens did too. If he could stop when she was up by one of his men then he would have the advantage. Likely she would try the same as well.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which just meant that he needed to be better at it than her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The bandit feinted for his left, and Rens brought his shield up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As she moved to take advantage he slammed it backwards point first into the back of another bandit.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the man collapsed in agony, spine possibly broken Rens’ knight leapt out to join him. Sparing him a glance Rens spoke.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No Jom. Go fight someone else. You’ll get yourself killed against her”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You don’t know what you’re talking about! I can take her!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man, still young, just promoted to the guard moved to take a step forwards.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“This is an order! You will engage another bandit and leave this one to me!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man still strained to attack the woman.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain” his voice was a growl, and the title was given begrudgingly “I said I can take her. You can’t organize a battle, and you clearly can’t fight one, so leave me to it”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Guard Jom!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens’ bellow cut through the sounds of battle, and for a moment things froze.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Did you not hear me? I gave you an order! Now get back there before you get yourself killed!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jom looked like he was going to resist, then suddenly stood up straight and turned to look at Rens.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Captain!” His eyes held a strange light and his voice was sorrowful “What have I done? My apologies Captain! My apologies!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Explain later boy, get back to the fight!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He threw himself forwards, shield outstretched to catch the blow aimed for Jom’s back. Evidently the woman had grown tired of waiting and had decided to take advantage of the distraction.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That was not going to be allowed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As Jom charged back into the ring Rens brought his sword up and across. Not expecting him to be able to recover so soon after lunging her dagger was out of position and so was knocked flying.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He wouldn’t give her time to draw another one.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">With a rain blows from both sword and shield he chased the woman back across the battlefield. Never letting up for an instant he kept with her, denying her a chance to escape or lose him. Each time she went for a dagger he attacked again, landing three hits on her before she stopped trying.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Soon they were both panting from the exertion. Rens usually would not have been but the wound was taking more of a toll than expected.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Surrender! Give the order for everyone to surrender and I’ll spare you all long enough for you to get fair trials”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“The punishment for banditry is hanging you fool! Do you think anyone’d give up a chance at life here to go die later? No!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She lunged at him again and he caught her blade on his own. With a twist he caught their hilts together. It was not the same as a blade lock, but it would give him the advantage he had desired.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens also knew that others would have offered another chance at surrender.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He figured that if they wanted to surrender they could still take him up on his earlier offer. Reminding them only wasted time and breath.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She twisted and turned, tried to break the lock, but he kept with her, kept pressing down. Everytime she tried something, he forced their blades closer to her head.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As she tried one more time and the blades dropped to just above her head she turned to look into his implacable metal mask. Her eyes went wide, and he knew that she had realized her death.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Others would have taken the moment to gloat. He took the moment to slam the top of his shield into her stomach.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the went out of her and her arm relaxed for a brief moment he slammed his blade down.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A moment later he turned, pulling his blade free. Her sword still dangled from his own by the crosspiece, and he took a moment to knock it loose. He could not have it hindering him in the rest of the fight.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At the same time, he could not let himself waste anymore time on the woman and their fight.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He readied his blade and stepped back into the fray.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had a battle to win.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><br /></span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">25</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian smiled as he paraded across the small makeshift stage.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crowd was eating up his every move and they had not figured out any of his tricks.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was a good day so far.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And so ladies and gentlemen, do you follow me still? That is good because there is yet another trick coming. I apologize that so many of my tricks have to do with these scarves, but I really enjoy them. So, back to the trick! Now, I showed you all that my scarf could grow and grow and grow, correct? Well, how about shrinking it down? Now, it is still quite long” and it was; he had let them pull on the end so much that it covered half the stage “But there must be some way to shrink it down. How about I wind it around my arm?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He began to, slowly at first, wrap the scarf back around his arm like fishing twine. After a few coils he ‘accidentally’ looped it over his other arm.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Within a few more twists and turns he had not only managed to tie his arms together, but his legs were now caught up as well.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And the crowd was loving it, roaring with laughter.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian maintained his rather worried look as he struggled to free himself. With a crowd like this in a big city he knew that he could pull off the comedy acts, perhaps the helpless magician act as well. With a noble he would never try something so simple, but for those who didn’t have pretensions he didn’t need to try and be fancy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He could just act.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, no, I’m serious guys, I’m stuck. Could I get some help up here?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He quickly spotted a young couple and nodded at them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You two, can you help me? Just, climb those stairs, careful, and ok, come on over”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As they kicked their way through the scarves he slowly drew the scarves in around their feet, just loose enough that they’d think they had picked them up by walking through.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Now, one of you on either side maybe? Each work on an arm?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the two very good natured teenagers went to work unwinding him he winked at the crowd.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, thats better!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Stretching his arms he flung them around a bit, the scarf falling in loops and spirals from his hands.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Now, if you wouldn’t mind helping with my legs? I can never quite figure them out”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As they crouched down he continued to twirl the scarves above them for another long moment. The crowd knew that something was going to happen, and maybe the helpers suspected it, but nobody knew what.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And that suspension, that moment before the reveal was what Laerian wanted to prolong.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Another second…and then he snapped his arms out straight.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Watch out!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Looking up at him the two didn’t quite stand, but it worked well enough.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The scarves fell in a helix about their bodies, snugging tight as he stepped backwards out of the pile of suddenly loose wrappings.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“And, oh, well. Huh. Now you </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">both</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are stuck all wrapped up. That won’t do. I’m going to have to do something to fix that, or else we’ll all be here until the cows come home”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He scratched his head in mock puzzlement as the crowd began to get tired of the delay.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He walked around them, plucking at the scarves and shrugging, then moving to the other and doing the same. And in his fumblings he managed to drag the two to opposite ends of the stage and then loop enough scarf around support beams that they couldn’t move back together.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He kept it up until the crowd began to jeer and boo.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Its not my fault they got themselves tangled! Nor is it really my fault that I can’t untangle them!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Get off the stage incompetent!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Let the two go!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Just as one man began to climb the stage drawing a dagger to cut the two free Laerian held up his hand for silence.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ok, ok, I’m sorry. You want me to let them go, and I want me to let them go. And we still need to wrap these scarves back down into little tiny scarves that can fit in my sleeve.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So, why don’t we solve all these problems at once?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Now, this part of the show was the same between both nobles and anyone else. He sometimes had trouble finding a couple among the nobles, so sometimes it was only one, always someone who had been making their interest in him known.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Because otherwise the next bit didn’t work.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So, wait, I know how to solve this. Stand back everyone!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the crowd took an obliging step backwards and even the angry man went back down the stairs Laerian turned to the couple.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Now, these scarves are the scarves of a gleeman, or a traveling bard. And they always have been. Back before me they were owned by a great magician named Zeppeli, and before that by the one who trained him, a bard called Bathros, and back all the way to the great minstrel himself Durel!</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And as such, these scarves have always heard tales and stories about love, true love, and pure romance. Now, they’ll likely stop keeping the two of you apart if your love is pure, for who are they to deny true love?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Looking from one to the other he approached the girl first.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Now, Miss…?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Angeline”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Miss Angeline. See that man over there also all tied up? Whats his name?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Steffan”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ok. And who is he? How do you two know each other?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“He comes into my father’s bakery every day to get food for his family. At first I was too shy to talk to him but I thought he was handsome and so when he one day asked me-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian raised a hand as he began to shuffle over to Steffan. He had to hunch down to look the two in the face, and he imagined that he looked a rather comical figure.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So you work at a bakery and he buys food there? For his family?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Steffan seemed to be taking this much less well than Angeline. She had at least accepted it and decided to play along, but he was still struggling against the scarf.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Steffan, you’re still struggling. You don’t trust the scarves to let you go? Is your love not pure?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Its not that its that she’s tied up! Let her go and stop with the charade. Its not funny anyways!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Why do you want me to let her go?”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Because its not right for you to tie her up!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“But, would it be ok if I had tied up someone else instead? And you say that you yourself are only trying to get free so that you can help her get free. Unless I misunderstood”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The boy stopped for a moment at that. It took him a while before he decided that “No. If you tied up anyone it’d be wrong”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So then it isn’t worse that I tied her up than if I had tied up someone else?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Realizing that he might be doing what Laerian he wanted he tried to backtrack.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, I mean, but-Yes it is, but not for why you’re saying!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So then you don’t love her?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Shushing any more words he turned to the crowd, his face a mask of sorrow.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“But, if he doesn’t love her then how are they ever to be free? I know that I cannot untie these knots, and maybe even a blade will not cut through them without hurting the two. Whatever will we do if there is no love?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He winked at Steffan as he hurried over to Angeline.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“But-!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Steffan, be quiet for a moment. I need to talk to Angeline”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Angeline looked sad, and there were the beginnings of tears in her eyes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Angeline…I’m sorry, but it looks like he doesn’t love you”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Steffan tried to interrupt, but Laerian held out one hand and talked over him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I really am sorry, for I can see that you love him, do you not?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She nodded, and opened her mouth to speak when Steffan tried to speak again.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“But, you didn’t let me-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Quiet man! Good gods, will you not give the fair lady a moment to talk!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As he whirled to face Steffan, advancing again he winked one more time to the boy. This time he exaggerated it as much as possible to make sure that he saw. As he stopped and leaned down to stare into Steffan’s eyes he saw understanding.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Now, will you be quiet long enough to give Angeline a moment to digest this?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No! I won’t you charlatan and li-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ok”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian wrapped a piece of scarf around Steffans head, covering his mouth. It wasn’t enough to block the sound, and it was only held in place by Steffan biting down, but it would serve if Steffan played along like he thought he would.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Now, that’ll take a few moments to get off, long enough for me to finish asking Angeline my questions. When she’s answered you’re free to interrupt me all you like”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Another wink had Steffan struggling and making a fantastic show of removing the scarf that he could drop at any time.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So, Angeline as I was saying before we were interrupted, you do love him, even though he seems not to love you” He could feel Steffan’s eyes on him, and knew that the boy would not tolerate much more of this.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“But is your love pure and true? Perhaps if you love him enough the scarf might release you, even if it won’t release him”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I do! I love him, I love him and I wanted to, want to marry him and I thought that he wanted to marry me to and we were going to have a life together!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian smiled sadly and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. His other hand waved behind his back in a small sign to wait.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That sounds like true love to me. Perhaps the scarf will release you!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He took a step backwards and tugged on it a bit, but nothing happened.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Oh, alas! It seems that only true love that is returned by another can convince the scarves to drop! Woe betide us that-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Quiet magician! You never let me finish”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian spun, astonishment on his face at Steffan’s words.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“But, the scarf! It should have taken you much longer! Unless…Oh, but that is part of the same scarf that will release you if your love is pure!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Shut up”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crowd laughed at that.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Angeline, don’t listen to this man! I do love you and I always have! When I first saw you I thought you were the most beautiful person I had ever seen, and when I finally worked up the courage to talk to you it was the best day when you responded! Every moment that we have spent together has been better than the last, and I love you, I truly do! I want to spend our lives together, I want to be married, and I want to be together forever!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crowd burst into applause at Steffan’s words and Laerian wiped a tear from his eye.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So then it is true love! If it is true love, then let the scarves not stop them from being together! Perhaps now…?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He stepped backwards out of the way and gave the scarves a tug. And to the amazement of everyone they began to unravel. As the two spun faster and faster they got closer and closer together, the scarves shrinking down into nothing as they came.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then the scarves pulled the other way and the two came a halt, Angeline falling into Steffan’s arms.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By a surprising quirk of fate, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or perhaps</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Laerian thought with a smile, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Its more of how the show spins fate to its own purposes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, their faces ended up mere inches away, and after a second of silence Steffan leaned in for a kiss.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the crowd erupted into cheers Laerian hopped down from the stage and put out the three hats he used to collect the coins.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Why don’t we give some money to the two to help them on their way? I am sure that the two will need some help going ahead in their lives, and what better way than to give them some money to start?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crowd tossed a fair bit of money into the hats. If he had been keeping it from himself it’d been enough to pay for room and board for quite a while.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But for the couple, if they did get married, it would not be much. Hopefully it could help their families even if they didn’t. He’d split what he gave them in half, give half to each.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the crowd dispersed he hopped back up onto the stage and extended a hand to stop the two.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Don’t go anywhere yet. Both of you were fantastic. You could have real futures in acting. Angeline, did you know that it was all part of the show? If not, I am so very sorry”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, I did. I figured it out when you wouldn’t let him finish his sentences, like you were afraid of him ruining something”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And Steffan, you didn’t figure it out until I basically told you”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No. I knew. I just wasn’t going to let you get away with it”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The boy’s eyes narrowed as he began to take a step forwards, but Angeline pulled him back.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Steffan, don’t. He wanted to make a good show, and neither of us was hurt or saddened. We all need to eat, and this is how he gets his food”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That is true Angeline, and a very mature view. However, I can do another show tomorrow in another part of town. In that way I can make enough for day to day. I usually only need enough for one night at an inn, however I have a friend with me and we’re going to be traveling soon. So, I’m going to take about a quarter of what I collected, and give the rest to you two. I wish I could give almost all of it to you, but its better than nothing”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The two looked at each other in surprise and then Angeline jumped forwards to pump his hand up and down.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Thank you! Thank you so much! You’re an amazing person and I can’t believe you’re going to do this for us!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course. I roped you into this show without really asking you, so the least I can do is pay you back for it. Here, lets see how much we got”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He poured the three hats into one and quickly counted it out.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So, its the equivalent of six gold marks. Or close to it”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was a pause while Steffan pulled the pile towards himself and recounted before anyone spoke again.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Magician, I apologize. I misjudged you, and I would like to say I’m sorry for calling you all those names and trying to ruin your show”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, Steffan, don’t be, and call me Laerian. I’ve been doing shows for long enough that I can deal easily enough with someone trying to derail it, and you just made it better in the end. It was probably what you did, not my whirling scarves, growing scarves, card tricks and other tricks that made them give so generously. Everyone, even the biggest cynic, deep down loves a good love story. Which was what you two gave them! So, the gold, thats entirely you, and your earnings for the day. I suggest that you each hang onto half until you get married. That way if one of you loses it the other half will still be there, and if something should happen, your parents should say no for some reason, then neither one of you is left with nothing”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">To take the sting from his rather pessimistic words he added “I doubt that’ll happen, but you never know, and I’d hate for something unexpected to happen and leave one or both you regretting that the other didn’t have any of the money”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">By turning it back so that it was about the other losing out, not losing out themselves he was sure that they would accept the idea.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And they did.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He escorted the two back to their homes, making sure that both got home safe with their pockets full before turning back towards the inn.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tonight was their last night in the city.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomorrow the ship that Tomas had booked passage on sailed. They had learned as much as they could which Tomas had jotted down in little notebooks, and they were ready to go.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which meant that Laerian could no longer avoid the past, no longer avoid his memories and demons. His happy times were done, and it was time to fight once more.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He fingered the gloves tucked into his belt.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Perhaps…perhaps he would not need them. Perhaps he would, likely he would, but he hoped beyond hope that for once, just once, things could be easily and go according to plan.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He shook his head as he stepped into the common room.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">No, he knew better than that. Nothing ever went to plan. He’d better make sure that his clothes were all happy with him, because pretty soon they were going to be waking up hungry again.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros stepped out the door of the tower and onto the dock.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The sounds of Faron Rek bore down on him, crashing like a wave. The silence of the inside of the tower compared to this place outside…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Faron Rek was a hell.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The docks though, were pleasant enough. So many pirates put in here every week that they needed to be kept in good condition. The floors did not creak, it did not smell all that bad, and everything was relatively clean.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The noise though never stopped, the combination of the bellows of rage, the merchants hawking their stolen goods, and the sounds of people being gutted.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It all made a cacophony. Deeper in it got quieter, but that was almost worse. Because in those darker parts of Faron Rek, where it was silent, it was because it didn’t do to draw overmuch attention to yourself.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In places like those being loud meant death.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros would normally have shivered at the thought, but he kept himself steady this time. He could not afford to be nervous, not right now. Or, at least, could not afford to let it show.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Hiros”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The former bandit turned to face the taller of the two assassins. he had donned his battle-gear, a sinister looking facemask, leather armour, and his twin swords.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Is the Link completed?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes, I told you already. We also tested it already”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And you’ll have time to Sketch before the fight starts? Both on you and on your opponent”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“If not then I’ll make time. I know how to delay people long enough to activate the links. Its having the guards and the king all drink the components beforehand that I’m worried about being able to get done”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That is why I am doing it”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The shorter of the assassins, the one Hiros’ height, stepped forwards.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You’re going to go with your bodyguard here, and do what needs to be done to rally you support. I am going to go prepare things for the fight. As we discussed”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course. Umm…”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros looked up at the tower and the captain standing guard in the entrance. Shadows bled from his wounds, filling the interior of the tower with that dim bleak light that he had almost grown used to during the trip.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A crossbow rested in his hands.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Is he just going to stay there the entire time? With the door open and everything?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes. Nobody would be foolish enough to take on one of the Shadowed, and if they are, then they shall learn their lessons. This man was a formidable fighter even before he was Shadowed; it took the two of us some time to kill him”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And from the assassins that was the highest praise that anyone could receive. It meant both that they had not been able to catch him by surprise, and that the man was skilled enough to delay their killing strike. And if the two of them had taken some time to kill him? Well, that meant that he could take on the both of them, at least for a few passes, and somehow survive. At least they hadn’t said that he had wounded them; that would have been the final straw for Hiros.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So…shall we get going then?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Right”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Unable to delay any longer Hiros straightened his shoulders and began to strut forwards. Here it was all about appearances, and he could afford to look cocky with the assassin at his shoulder.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was actually glad of the man’s presence now. It would stop all but the most insane of muggers from trying their luck with him, and the most insane would die to his blades before they could do anything.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros shrugged his shoulders at the uncomfortable weight of twin blades sitting there. For the plan to work he needed to be equipped similarly to the other man, the shorter one, but it still was not comfortable. He was not at all used to it and longed for his crossbow.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But everyone made concessions on the path to glory, even if it was not their choice to take that path.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Especially then.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Faron Rek grew dirtier and fouler the deeper into it he went. The shouts of dockworkers and angry pirates claiming they were cheated became the shouts of drunkards and angry gamblers claiming they were being cheated.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">More than once Hiros had to stop as a fight spilled out into the street. While the assassins either broke it up, or they waited for one to get up and the other to go still Hiros surveyed the city.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Not much had changed since he was last here. This, the outer city, was still filthy, in a bad state of disrepair, and entirely without order. Buildings still looked to be thrown up wherever the builder could protect it, sometimes cutting of streets or building on stop of, or in front of, another building.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Filth was piled as high as it could be without toppling, mostly because once it got too high it did topple, and then formed the road.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The road itself squished beneath his feet as anything made of rotting refuse will. Each step released a dozen new fumes that assaulted his nostrils, not that they were not besieged enough already.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He really wished that he had had time to procure a set of noseplugs, or a filter, but the assassins had not given him the chance. Perhaps once he was king he could send for some.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That thought still chilled him. As they waited for the latest fight to break up he ran his hand over his newly shaved scalp, feeling the designs and patterns that the two had cut into it. Wincing when he found a tender spot he pulled his hand back down.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His hair had fallen away, and then bits of his skin had as well as they had cut and scarred patterns and designs, the symbols of a famous warrior clan from the far east.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He didn’t look the part, but then again, nobody in Faron Rek looked like what they claimed to be.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The point was that if he claimed that he was from the clan then he would have to be strong enough to back up the claim. His actual bloodline or training became irrelevant, and it was all about whether he was brave or stupid enough to go through with the deception.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Looking tough here was all that mattered it seemed. Or, would be all that mattered for him. The assassins would do all the real work.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the fight cleared up Hiros looked ahead to the great cleft.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was tall, and narrow, big enough only for two carts abreast, not that anyone actually used carts on this island.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And it would be protected by a gate anyways so that you couldn’t use carts. It was go through on foot, one by one, or not at all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This was the greatest stronghold in all of the Torin islands. Not the Destrian War Fortress, not the Lomwar Durrenvault, not anything for any military or national endeavour.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">No, it was Faron Rek proper, the Inner City. The wall was made of stone, reinforced with metal plates every couple of feet, and metal beams holding it all in place. The stones had been placed around those, making a wall that was dozens of feet thick.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Passage through it took half an hour because the passages themselves twisted and turned so often.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The main passage went through, but there were dozens of offshoots. These offshoots went only to dead ends and traps.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Above each of these passages was another passage. These upper passages were only accessible from the far side, and the floors were filled with murder holes so that the defenders could rain death down on any invaders.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Scaling the wall was difficult as the pirates had dug a moat around it. So, once they crossed the moat they would have to try and climb the always slick and algae covered wall while suffering arrow fire and dropped rocks from the battlements above.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And even if they got inside they would still have to fight their way through the network of caves before reaching the Inner City proper.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">All this contributed to the fact that Faron Rek had never truly been stormed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Yes, it had been assaulted, but the last time that Destria and the Free Lords of Rin had mustered their armies to attack it the tolls had been too high, and they’d decided to leave it alone.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which worked just fine for every criminal, bandit, pirate, and ne’erdowell out there. It meant that they had a wonderful base of operations from which to commit their illicit activities.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">When they arrived at the main tunnel there were no guards.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Instead there were guides. Without one you’d wander through the passages for days, lost, confused, and without knowing which way to go. If you didn’t want to pay for one then you could take it on your own and risk the outcome, or you could try and follow along with another guide.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Both would likely end up with you being dead.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The assassins had told Hiros to ignore the guides and walk straight in.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“‘Ello ‘ello ‘ello mate”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">One, a swaggering man dressed in the garb of a sailor stepped up to Hiros.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You lookin’ to be goin’ through then? You wantin’ to go in and get to tha Inner City?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had a thick accent and stank of alcohol and drugs. Hiros grinned, sure his expression was a bit sickly.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course. I’m assuming you’re going to be offering your services?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course, of course of course! How about five gold marks to guide you and your pal in, no pro’lem at all”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“How about you step aside before ‘my pal’ breaks your body, and we go in, free of charge?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Not only did the guides like to charge, but they didn’t like to let people go in without taking some kind of a toll. The toll either came in your coin, your blood, or the threat of theirs.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It seemed that this time the threat of theirs would do for the man stepped aside, and no others challenged the pair.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Once inside the echoey and dark passage Hiros let the assassin take the lead. He knew where he was going, and would be able to deal with anyone they ran into. Hiros just needed to walk and stay quiet, simple as that.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It would be a long walk.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><br /><br /></span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">26</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert and Brethan rode into town together. Brethan had somewhat recovered, enough at least for them to get to the town.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was larger than the others he had been in recently, and better equipped to deal with the bandits. It had the walls, there was a single antiquated catapult, and the people all had some manner of weapon easily at hand.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Perhaps this was what was needed to stop them from attacking so rampantly; make every town, every village like this, help them protect themselves.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tying their horses up outside the first inn they found, Robert entered, looking for a room to stay the night.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At least one night. But likely longer. He wanted to get Brethan settled in somewhere before he went on.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The inn was a nice enough building. A fire burned in a large hearth and there were a few people eating at tables around the walls.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After a few moments of negotiation he secured two rooms side by side, then returned to Brethan.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Hard to get the two rooms together. Apparently its more full than its been in a while”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Brethan nodded as Robert made sure that a stableboy had taken their horses around.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Come, lets get something to eat, and then get some sleep. We’ll figure out whats next in the morning”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Sure”</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert sat up, unsure what had awoken him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It wasn’t daylight; he knew he hadn’t been asleep for long enough. It was still the middle of the night, so its not like there was any light coming in from the window.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He rubbed his eyes and looked around at the long shadows.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Long shadows?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It should be dark, there should not have been any shadows.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He rolled out of bed and pulled his pants on as he looked around.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There, the window. He grabbed the top of his uniform as he walked over and pulled the curtains aside.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Red light. Flickering shadows. A thick cloud of smoke.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And now that he was closer he could hear the sounds of alarm.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Why were the people not responding? Why had the alarm bell not been rung?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He spun around, his shirt unbuttoned as he ran for the door.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Halfway there he remembered, and turned to grab his sword.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He’d need it to defend himself long enough to put out the flames.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Turning back to the door he saw the handle turn. Someone had finally come to wake him, good. At least people were responding.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The door swung open and two men in dark clothes with naked swords stared at him in surprise.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert stared back for the moment it took him to realize that they weren’t there to wake him up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Bandits! Bandits in the halls! Awake, awake!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His voice rang through the quiet of the inn as he drew his sword and lunged at the first.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">By then they had recovered, and their swords were up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His blade crashed down on the first one. His lunge defeated Robert scuttled backwards, falling into a fencer’s stance. The two stepped into the room, trying to spread out to flank him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert wouldn’t afford them the time.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Lunging forwards he cut at the one. Knocking the lunge aside the man stepped forwards and cut down.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert tried to deflect it, but only managed to catch it on the blade, jarring his entire arm.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This blade was too heavy to use in the fencing style that he knew; he was used to foils or rapiers, not longswords.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Why he had not thought to get one, or why his parents or the guards had not tried to train him in a more useful fighting style was beyond him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was stupid that he should be so useless with the blade he had taken. Everything about this was stupid and pointless and could easily have been fixed. If his parents had just been better at wiping out the-</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His dodged as the other man’s blade swung at him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Evidently he didn’t have time to lose himself in thought.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Switching his grip on the blade he managed to parry the next strike without hurting himself, and pulled off a riposte that didn’t open him up too much.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But it was still a losing fight. He would not be able to keep this up for much longer, and then the town would burn.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He ducked under another swing, deflected the next one past his chest and slashed at the bandit on his right’s legs.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was easily blocked but it bought him the time he needed to grap the bedsheet and swirl it into the air.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Keeping that moving with his spare hand he began to try and move towards the door.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He could hear more fighting from out in the hall and other parts of the inn; clearly he was not the only one being ambushed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This was likely why the inn had been so full; the bandits had been trying to set up this deception.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And it had worked. The town had been taken by surprise and appeared near helpless before this assault.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert tossed the sheet at the man on his left. At the surprised shout he figured it had probably tangled the man for the minute he needed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Now one on one he could bring all his fencing skills into play. Keeping an ear out for the other man freeing himself he began to cut, parry, lunge, and riposte with greater and greater speed and skill, getting used to the weight of the blade.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The bandit began a slow retreat as small cuts and nicks appeared on his arms and face.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He noticed too late that he had been backed into a corner. Lunging desperately the man threw a barrage of blows that Robert deflected with only some trouble. Then he raised his blade for an overhead chop and Robert saw his moment.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the blade descended he sidestepped and thrust his own sword into the man’s chest.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The bandit looked at him in stunned silence for a moment, and then the man’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction before they went dark.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Realizing what that meant Robert spun, trying to pull his sword free as the other bandit swung his sword towards the prince.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Time seemed to slow as the blade inched closer and Robert’s life flashed before his eyes, his past, and all the things he would never do, his broken promises.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was going to die.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi stood at the top of the slope and looked down at the battle below. It was almost done, and the bandits were dead. Rens had managed to rally the guards and turn the tide.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Damn that man. She’d need to do something then. Perhaps take matter into her own hands.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She fingered the small dagger at her waist before climbing back onto her horse. She had best return to camp before he got back. And the most fanatic of her followers among the knights would vouch that she had stayed there the entire time; those were who she had arranged to have left behind.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">All she needed now was a way to kill Rens.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But she didn’t trust herself to be able to do the deed. Knowing him he would somehow survive a dagger. Then her Sketching would be undone and she’d be at odds with him, and perhaps the rest of the guards.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">No, she needed something more foolproof. She’d have had the assassins do it, but they were busy seeing to it that the next step of her plan was being carried out.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And she could not keep on delaying with Rens either. She needed to actually locate Robert, something that was proving hard to do. So far they had not had any signs of him, even though she was travelling in the direction she had seen him go from the staircase window.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So either he had proved unreliable, as usual, or they just had not reached him yet. The next town was a small little place called Relland. Perhaps from there they could find him.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens paused, breathing heavily. The battle was all but won; there were only a few bandits left.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Take them alive! We’ll need to interrogate them, find out why they attacked us!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He planted his sword and stretched a bit, trying to take the tension out of his frozen muscles. And grunted in pain as his back seized up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He’d forgotten about the stab wound, but he needed it to be treated, and soon.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But first he needed to talk to Jom. The boy had some explaining to do, both why he had disobeyed orders, and then why he had suddenly changed his mind, begun acting more normal again.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi smiled grimly, thinking back on the battle.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At least she had managed to kill that guard. Somehow the boy had slipped from her control. How it had happened she did not know, but she had ended his life soon after. He would be sharing no secrets with the captain.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She patted the crossbow tied to her horse as she headed back to camp.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens looked down at the young man. A crossbow bolt had caught him between the shoulder blades. It didn’t look like that had killed him, but it had knocked him forwards into the mud.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The poor man had drowned to death.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He closed his eyes and said a quick prayer to whatever may be listening. A few words about the boy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then he turned back to the bandits still alive. He would get some answers today, whether from his own soldiers or not.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert tried to lunge away as the blade came towards him but it was no good.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He felt the pressure as it pushed against his armour, and then the release of it as it cut through. The slow drag as it entered his flesh, the icy cold tingling as it cut across his stomach and up towards his shoulder.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He could feel it catch for a moment, then tick-tick-tick along his ribs, like the hands of a clock counting down to his death. Something snapped inside his body, he could feel it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then the pressure, the drag stopped as the sword pulled free. He saw the spray of blood fly into the air, felt the sudden cold along the path, then the line of fire follow it seconds later as the cut nerves screamed, felt the warm thick blood seeping out.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The room swam for a moment as he fell to his knees and the sword fell from his hand. Through vision that was going dark he saw Brethan run into the room, a bloody sword raised in his hands, face a mask of rage.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No” he wanted to say “No, don’t do it, run away instead, both of us don’t need to die” but no words came.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His eyelids felt heavy and floated down once as he began to fall backwards. He forced them open in time to see the bandit swing his sword all the way around and slice into the poor boy’s neck.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Then his eyelids grew too heavy again and they fell closed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was a moment of panic as everything went dark and quiet, but then a warm blanket began to enfold him. He smiled, his lips barely twitching as a bright light blossomed before him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But something clawed at him, stopped him from going towards it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had failed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The realization hit him harder than the sword had.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He has failed at the end. He would die now, without fulfilling his promise to Brethan, without doing anything to leave Destria in a better position.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In fact he was leaving it in a worse position. He was killing Destria. While he lay rotting his parents would continue searching for him, never to find him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And the Dukes and Duchesses would rise and declare a succession and there would be true war. And the number of bandits would grow, and the land would fall into chaos.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And during that time Lomwar might launch another attack, and then the Torin Islands would all fall into chaos.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And everything would burn, the whole world would fall apart.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And it was all his fault. If he had not been so rash, if he had stayed instead of running, if he had been a good boy, a good prince, done what was right for the realm not for himself then this would not have happened.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would be forgotten, at most a footnote, the missing heir who had sparked the wars.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would not be remembered as anyone who had done anything great, who had rid the land of bandits, who had tried to save Destria.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would be the prince who failed, and then, he would be forgotten. No history books about him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His head hit the floor and bounced back up as he grew cold.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was so cold, cold and alone, and he would be forever. The annals of history held no place for a failure.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would never…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would never be…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would…</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His head hit the floor again, but he was gone.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-35486267565460364382014-07-27T21:12:00.001-07:002014-07-27T21:12:00.655-07:00Sigilian 22<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros stood atop the balcony of the border tower and watched the ground sail by below.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The captain and the assassins had been giving him the creeps; he had needed to get out.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Needed some fresh air, needed to be away from the two calm deathbringers and the man who might as well have been dead.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The pilot was nothing but an empty shell. They had showed him a sheet of paper with squiggles and a seal on it and he had accepted it as a written missive. It was like the man was just a machine now. All you had to do was press the right buttons and he would do whatever you asked.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was eerie, and completely wrong. Everything about it was wrong. The worst part about it was the thought that it could have, barring a change in circumstances, been him like that. They needed his Sketching ability, and he wasn’t sure how well that would work if he was some puppet like that but still…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was a terrifying thought. And the assassins were almost as bad. He had tried to talk to them but they had refused to deviate from their orders of transporting him and fulfilling some mysterious mission.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Their devotion to it went beyond normal, or even that from a contract. He could tell from the set of their jaws and the changes in their stance whenever he brought it up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They were almost zealots about this. And thinking back he realized that they had been the same with any orders from Natasi.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Were they just that passionate about the cause? Or did she have some other hold over them?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was not sure what Sigils she had, not sure what she could do. Did there exist a Sigil of control, of compulsion of some kind more subtle than Shadow? Was he, even now, being controlled by her in some way?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Could he even trust these thoughts, or might they have been something else she planted?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros was beginning to think that it might have been better to never join these people at all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But then he would have been their enemy, and that would have been an even more terrifying situation to be in.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He paused in his reverie when the tower sped up as it cleared the last of the mountains.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Are we going out to sea?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He turned to go back down the stairs but ran into the taller of the assassins.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Hello”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You are correct. We are indeed going out to sea”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah” Hiros took a step back and found himself up against the rail. Trying to look casual he lounged against it “Are we really?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes. We’re going to Faron Rek”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“F-Faron Rek?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Despite being cold hearted, ruthless, and as treacherous as the best of them Hiros did not like the idea of Faron Rek.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Never alone, never allowed a chance to Sketch, to make a Link, never allowed the time to scheme, and if he tried to play both sides against the middle he’d end up dead three times over.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was not a good place for him, for his skillset, or for his interests, namely staying alive and getting rich with little work.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Why are we going there?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He tried to regain his composure, but his voice still quavered a bit.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“There is to be a new Blood Red King”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“A new King? Isn’t that usually followed by wars and the like?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Not if the challenger defeats the three champions and then the old King in single combat. If he does then he becomes the new King, and the others can say nothing. All must swear fealty to the new Blood Red King. The new King can always be assassinated if the others think the ruling unfair, but it is unlikely to happen, at least not right away. And the new King doesn’t need to be King for all that long for our purposes”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He smiled grimly at Hiros as the tower sped up even more, the wind off the ocean now whipping Hiros’ shaggy mane about his head.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And of course, the King had best look like a King as well. That is why you will need to get rid of your pipe, shave your head, get a tattoo, and some new attire”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, yes, but why will I-?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros fell silent as the words sunk in.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“The new King will need to look the part”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And I need to look the part?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The smile grew wider.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And I’m to be the new King?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The smile was so wide that his face should have split. A hand shot up faster than should have been possible and grabbed the longest bits of hair into a ponytail at the back. The man’s other hand brought the knife close to Hiros’ scalp as he began to shave the poor bandit.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You’re just full of insights today Sketcher”</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-fb5813d4-7b2a-c791-db36-39bbe0f9fa7b" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian stood in the middle of the street. He was calm…He was calm.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He closed his eyes for a moment as he breathed in slowly, then out again.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His arms hung by his sides. He had his usual scarf on but his coat was in the room along with the hood and the gloves.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He didn’t need to carry them with him for the moment.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">What he did need was some time to just relax, breathe in the life of the city, and forget that which he had done.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Not forget that he had done it, not forget that there was now another weight on his soul, but forget the particulars, the details, the feeling of the living cloth, the sound of the screams.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He needed to forget all that and just be himself, be the carefree and happy stage-magician, the performer, the lucky man who made his living doing what he wanted and not what anyone else did.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He needed to be the new Laerian, not the Laerian of the wars or the Laerian who had lived with his father.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He needed whimsy, life, happiness for a few breaths before he went back to war.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Laerian”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His partner’s voice drew him back to the street. His eyes snapped open to see Tomas standing a ways away, turned and fighting the flow to stay in place.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Lets go”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He closed his eyes and breathed in for another moment.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The smell of salt was in the air, mixed with the stench of the city and the smell of fresh baked bread. Someone was going to have an enjoyable morning if they got to eat that.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gulls cried overhead as they circled the towers and dove down by the docks looking to see if they could steal some of the catch. The smaller birds that were able to navigate through the scaffolding chirruped and argued to each other as they went about their work.The occasional shouts of a roof worker competed with the cries of hawkers and the general babble of the crowd.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Laerian!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He opened his eyes again and stared at Tomas. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to go to Faron Rek yet. He wanted to have a moment to be at peace.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Tomas. Can we stay for a day first?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Any delay gives them more time to plot, more time to ruin things”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And a delay of a day will allow us to get more information, learn more about what we are getting ourselves into”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He stepped forwards to catch up with the younger lord and fell into step, his longer legs easily keeping the pace.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, we can’t delay”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Tomas, do you even know who the current Blood Red King is? Do you know how to get to Faron Rek? Do you know what it is like right now? Do you know how many people will be there or what Hiros even looks like?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, no, no, and no. They’re not important. We can take a boat closer and then find out there. Each of these things will be easier to find out when we are closer”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And also more dangerous to ask about! If we get closer do you have any idea how cagey these people are? They will have people listening for those looking for information about the island, they will have people waiting to see if they can’t figure out who is trying to learn and why, and if we are seen to not know anything and be looking that will not lend credence to our story. No good bandit operates without knowing how things work, what they do, how they need to interact with the others, and especially no bandit just decides to go to Faron Rek to see if they can become all official without knowing anything about the island, especially because bandits can’t even become official by going to Faron Rek! You can’t officially get control of territory to rob, you can’t become an official bandit at all, there is no way you can except practice and the like. Thats all there is to it. So if-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“How do you know so much about this Laerian? How do you know what bandits can and can’t do, will and won’t do?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He fell silent at that, long enough that Tomas glanced at him, a question plain on his face.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ok, come with me”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He grabbed his partner by the shoulder and dragged him across the traffic until he shoved him down an alley ahead of him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Laerian…”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was a warning in Tomas’ tone as his hand reached for his dagger.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m trying to get out of public so I can tell you”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So much for being at peace and ignoring the sins of the past.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I used to be a bandit”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas’ reaction was, as expected, underwhelming.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Go on”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I…I fought as a mercenary on the mainland for a time. I was a soldier of fortune and I did things I am not proud of. The entire company did. Finally I had had enough, fearing that if I stayed there any longer I would become like my father.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Two of my friends and I left together. We, all of us, hated what it was like there. We decided that we’d be better, that we’d be merry bandits.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We returned here to our homeland and set out to make a band of thieves like the stories tell of, one that was jolly, stole from the rich to give to the poor, lazed around in taverns until they were needed for another good deed.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“But life was hard. We went through our savings very quickly and were forced to turn to actual banditry to just afford to eat. And there were never enough rich folk to steal from that we could afford to both feed ourselves and give to others. So we chose the first of course.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“From there it just got worse. We needed to be able to hit the bigger groups so that we could actually take the most lucrative targets. So, we brought in new people who didn’t share our values, and slowly but surely we began to share theirs.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“It was at that time that I came up with the Hangman. Thats the, the mask thing. The mask that I wore in the mine. Thats the Hangman. I realized that I could bring the clothes to life. At first my clothes refused, but then I learned that if I fed them blood they would be happy with me.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So I fed them the blood of others. And they grew to know that whenever they were awoken they would be fed so much blood, gorged on it, that it was in their best interests to protect me, keeo me alive.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“But, thats not the story. I was a bandit. And it was going well until we ran afoul of another band of bandits. They were encroaching on our territory. And after a few skirmishes left both sides with reduced numbers, I had the bright idea to bring our dispute to the Blood Red King.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So our group set off, leaving its territory behind for the time being. We figured that if we got the Blood Red King’s backing we could reclaim it anyways, and that if we didn’t it wouldn’t matter we’d have to find new land anyways.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So, we got to the coast and started to ask about Faron Rek as we made our way along.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Well, by the time we had found someone who was willing to take us there the agents had heard about us, knew who we were and decided to teach us a lesson for being so impudent, so ill-mannered as to think to disturb the King with such petty nonsense. Those enforcers had both an excellent vocabulary, and they knew how to use it to best insult.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“They came up from the hold when we were five minutes out. They had been in league with our ferryman. Everyone died but me, and that was only because I used the Hangman to jump into the water and swim to safety. The clothes kept me alive long enough, trapped enough air, that I could swim some distance away before resurfacing. They thought I’d drowned rather than face them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And the truth was, at that point I think I rather would have. What they did to my friends was…brutal. They were bad people, we all were, but they didn’t deserve that Tomas. Nobody did.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Nobody does”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He pressed on his eyeballs with the palms of his hands trying to block out the images that flickered behind his eyes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That’s why Tomas. That’s why we can’t do it your way. I’m not just trying to get some time, although I also need time. I am trying to stop us from running headlong into something that we cannot survive”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas looked at him in silence for a moment then shrugged.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Well, that is a sad story. I’m glad that you know what to do in this situation or else we would have died”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His voice was devoid of sympathy as stepped around the distraught man and headed back for the street.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ll go get our room back and start asking around. I shall see you there tonight. Take your time, but don’t spend too long in the State”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian sunk down against the wall, his head in his hands.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Too many sins. Too many sins on my soul. Gotta forget them, gotta forget the details. Gotta remember the good times, not the bad”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He began to sob quietly as the people went by at the alley’s edge.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Nobody spared him a glance.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-42121840978941749702014-07-26T20:45:00.000-07:002014-07-26T20:45:15.885-07:00Sigilian 21<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens pulled his dagger out of the fire and hurriedly blew on the meat.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He didn’t want to burn it, not right now. They weren’t exactly running low on supplies but he was running low on supplies he trusted.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">More and more of the soldiers were beginning to follow Natasi’s orders as easily as his own. Many were expressing their confidence in her almost daily.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And there would be nothing wrong with that normally. She had been assigned as being in charge of this mission, and he would hope that his soldiers could learn to trust unfamiliar commanders.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But everything that Natasi was doing was wrong. She was not a good commander and she was making one bad call after another.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">First she had sent them into a dell during a fog. Three horses had broken their legs, meaning they needed to cut into their spares before they should have. The smart decision would have been to examine the dell on foot first, and waited until the fog burned off.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There had been talk after that, but not as much as he had expected.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Then they had somehow ‘run afoul’ of a group of bandits. Bandits never operated in such close proximity to Castle Destria, or were never operating when it was so close. They would hole up and wait for a day when they were less likely to die.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And it was not like they had even walked in on their hiding place either.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The bandits had jumped them in the middle of the road.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Finishing the meat, Rens got up and began an inspection of the camp. He wanted to try and see if he could figure out why his soldiers all loved Natasi. Was she secretly giving them favours while he was not paying attention? Or was she somehow managing to bribe them?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He knew that no soldier was incorruptible, but he had thought his men made of sterner stuff.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He managed a few steps before he began to feel a little lightheaded. He paused and surreptitiously leaned against a tent post while pretending to examine the campsite.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">These dizzy spells had also grown far more frequent, but only if he stayed still for too long.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Oddly enough riding didn’t make him dizzy. And it also didn’t happen to him everytime he stayed still.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But it was limited to when he was stationary for some time, and it was worrying him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Was he getting sick? Or was it a curse of some kind?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens himself did not believe in curses, but enough of his men did that their superstition occasionally rubbed off on him. He had lucky charms in his tent and had taken to wearing a few under his shirt. Some were to make him feel better, but some he knew worked.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Or, at least he knew that one worked.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He knew that it worked for the same reason that he didn’t believe in curses or magic.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Magic didn’t exist. Everything had an explanation, and if something couldn’t be explained by the normal rules of the world then that wasn’t magic.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was Sketching.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Curses were the excuse of those who did not know. They were the reason ascribed to bad and unexplained things, especially chains of bad events without an apparent cause. They could just be bad luck, but in a way curses did exist. They just weren’t curses.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They were the work of Sketchers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens had seen one such ‘curse’ once. He had seen a man unable to die, shadows leaking from his wounds.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man had sobbed as his tendons were sliced and his arms even lopped off. But he had still kept coming, the shadows still binding him together, holding his form as he charged the soldiers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That man had killed so many before he had finally been stopped.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And the worst part was that the man had been the commander of the group, a good friend of Rens’. He had felt every blow, even to the parts that had been cut off. He had seen every sweep of his blade that killed his own men. He had known all of his pain and worse, all of the pain of killing them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And he had been unable to do anything at all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That was a curse. That was a true curse, and it had not been magic but Sketching.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Once the commander had finally been destroyed, his body set on fire, and the ashes scattered, there had been three left.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens had taken charge and had not allowed the others to stop until they found the Sketcher. That man had died. The others had wanted to give him a painful death, but there was no honour in that. They had misunderstood why Rens had wanted to find him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rens hadn’t wanted revenge; he had wanted to remove the threat to all the other soldiers out there.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So the Sketcher had had a quick execution.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And once Rens had been done with that tour of duty he had taken all his savings and spent them on one item, or amulet with a Sigil Sketched on to it then made Permanent.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It had taken quite a long time to find a Sketcher able to do what he wanted, and about half the savings had gone into allowing him to travel in search of the Sketcher.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had finally found one, a hermit living a week’s trek into the Northlands.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man had not wanted any coin, merely telling Rens to go buy him as much food as it would, after buying the reagents, chemicals and amulet itself.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two weeks later Rens had left with his amulet. Sketched onto it was The AntiSigil. Not </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">an</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> AntiSigil, but one that could counter, deflect, or delay any Sigil that it came into contact with.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It only worked while he wore it, and only on things that directly affected him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Since he had put it on that morning he had only gotten two dizzy spells, but they had been much worse than the previous ones.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">However, they had only come twice, as opposed to the ten or eleven he had had the other two days of this trip.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So, he was certain that it was something Sketched, but he did not know what. It could have been Sketched onto the food, hence his worries there, or it could be that someone kept Sketching and giving him these spells.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Either way, it needed to stop. He needed to figure out who it was before it was too late, before whoever it was completed their goal and stopped the mission.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He needed to find Robert!</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-fb5813d4-75e8-2c42-8ad9-f44759669d50" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Natasi frowned as Rens got up and moved off.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He kept moving! He never stayed still, and now he seemed to be getting paranoid. He was trying to move around more and more, rarely staying still at all in his drive to escape the dizzy spells that resulted from an incomplete Sketching.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This morning she had decided to just Sketch a dozen smaller compulsions until he was too inept and confused to do anything but rely on her command.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Instead her every attempt had been frustrated. Sometimes she had Sketched only for the Sigil to unravel as fast as she Sketched it. Other times she had managed to finish it only for it to fade and stop. Or, she had simply been unable to Finish the Sketch, something stopping her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She didn’t know what it was, but he had obviously gotten some kind of protection. She hadn’t even know that such a thing existed, but it must. Either that or another Sketcher was interfering with her work.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Whatever the reason it that meant that she had only managed to place one compulsion on him, an idea that she could not be guilty and was above suspicion. While it seemed to be working it was indeed a finicky one. If he had already been suspicious those suspicions would remain, and if he eliminated other options he’d realize what had been done.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, it would stop him from developing any new suspicions about her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It should have sufficed to delay him long enough for her to finish laying the rest of the compulsions, but he had proven too difficult.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And now he was somehow protected.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was frustrating, destroying her plans.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At least the others had fallen prey quickly enough. There were very few now left in the group who were not under a compulsion to trust her and believe her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That thought in mind she turned back to her fire and examined the dagger sitting on her lap. Perhaps then it was time to arrange a little ‘accident’ for Captain Rens.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert slowed his horse to a canter as he approached the small village. He had avoided the closest village to Branwen’s farm, not wanting to cast suspicion on her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But the next village over should be fine. And he was running out of food, so even if he had wanted to stay away longer he could not have.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The village below looked calm and peaceful. It was refreshing to see that the land that he had been told hated him and was suffering could look so nice, could appear so without suffering.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Smiling a bit stupidly he kicked his horse back into a canter as he rode down towards it. He was going to need to buy food, buy a bedroll, and then find out where he actually was in relation to the Castle’s landing sight, frequent haunts, and other pre-arranged meeting places. And maybe it’d be faster to head for the nearest border tower or some other military camp.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And then that’d allow him to get an escort and return much faster, without the need for secrecy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Putting those thoughts behind him he rode into the town. It was quiet, sleepy almost, but there were people about. They gave him some odd looks; a single soldier out here all alone on a horse? It didn’t make much sense, but as he tied his horse to a hitching post they looked away.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was grateful for that because it meant that they didn’t see him take three tries to do it right. Branwen had taught him a lot, but he had not been able to master knots in so short a time.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He just hoped that nobody tried to steal his horse.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stepping into what appeared to be some kind of general store he was struck by the abundance of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">things</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. So many types of things, from arrows to food, barding to bait and tackle, furs to simple cloth.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After a moment he became aware of the small man trying to get his attention.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, yes, welcome! How may I help you?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert wove through the stacks of merchandise to stand at the counter.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m looking to get a few things”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, then you’ve come to the right place! This is Rackam’s, best place in town to get anything at all! I’m Rackam”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Marlan, but I often go by Soldier”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Pleasure to meet you Soldier! Now then, now then, what do you need?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert was having trouble getting any kind of read on the man. He seemed like a pleasant enough fellow, but he was also a merchant.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And in Robert’s rather limited experience all merchants were liars, at least a little.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m looking to get some food supplies. I’ve been travelling and I need enough to get me some ways. I’d also like a bedroll if you have one, and a map. I seemed to lose mine and may have lost my way as well. Where am I?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man had already begun to pull things off the shelves into a sack as he answered.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah, well, you’re in Relland! Beautiful little place eh? We’re not very big, but we’re happy here. Soil is good enough that we can farm and have a little extra to sell to travelers like you and we’ve got animals in the area, enough that we can trap them for their furs. Nothing dangerous mind, no bears or lynx, just a few larger plant-eaters, moose, deer, things like that. No, nothing that can hurt people”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“It certainly is a pretty place”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert was still wary of the man, especially now that the topic of potential danger had come up. Was he going to try and tricky him? Convince him to buy protection, weapons, hire guards and then lure him into an ambush, rob him while he slept?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ok, so just the map, bedroll and rations? I packed you twenty days worth. It’ll be fifteen silver crowns, ten for the food, two for the bedroll, three for the map”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Fifteen silver crowns?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Is it too much? I do try and charge fair prices, but if you can’t afford it then maybe we could trade, or you could, if you’ve time, stay and do some work or something?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Oh, no, its fine. I just-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He stopped, realizing that he couldn’t tell Rackam that he had expected to be cheated.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Did you expect me to overcharge you? You must not have spent much time out here. You on the way from one city to another? They’ll overcharge you there, but out here we’re honest. Its ok, I’m not insulted. But now its twenty silver crowns”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rackam only managed a moment before bursting out laughing. It looked odd to see the small mousey man laughing so hard that he began to cry.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Oh, oh, your face! It was so good, priceless! Priceless”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Finally getting control of himself Rackam smiled at the prince.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, its still fifteen. I just like to have my jokes. Will twenty days worth of rations be enough?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Likely, but I’ll have to see the map to be sure”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rackam spread the map across the counter and pointed to a small valley.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“That is Relland here. And you’re going…?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Scanning the map Robert soon found where Castle Destria had been.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But he was much closer to something that might be better. Robert had managed to glide halfway to the Desser River, the river used to ferry much of the trade around the island.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And there was usually a border tower or two that would follow the course of the river.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So, if he got to the nearest port he would be able to either wait for the border tower to arrive or he could take a boat to the other locations where the Castle might be. Either way it would likely save him time, food, and worry, since once he was on the boat he would not need to worry about supplies or being as inconspicuous.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And, if he got to a border tower then he could have the added benefit of sending them with the message but not returning himself. He could continue with this trip as he had always dreamed and really learn something about the people of the Destria.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He made up his mind. It really wasn’t a hard decision at all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“How many days would it take to reach there?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He pointed to the nearest village on the river.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And does it have a port?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“It has a dock if I remember right, and boats do stop there sometimes. You should be able to get there in five days, and thats if you take it at an easy trot. If you’re trying to make ground you could probably make it in three, but then your horse would be in bad shape”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Five it is. Anywhere you suggest I stop along the way? I would prefer to be able to sleep in an inn at night, although I’m not too particular about that, hence the bedroll”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rackam pointed out a few places which Robert marked, as well as giving him some advice on the best trails and paths.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Thank you Rackam. You’ve been very helpful. How do you know so much about the area? I don’t imagine that running the shop leaves very much time for traveling”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, no it doesn’t, but I get word from others. And besides, I know how it is to go adventuring when you’re young, put aside as much money as you can and then take a trip to try and see the world, or at least your corner of it. It was that that led me to settling down here and opening the shop.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So, I’m always glad to help out those who are doing the same”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He smiled as he rolled the map and slid it into a case.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But then his face grew serious as he looked up again.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Watch out for bandits though. They’re dangerous, and there are a lot of them around, more than in previous years. They’re also getting more aggressive, so keep to yourself and keep safe!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Rackam passed the bundle over as Robert counted out the coins. He was glad that it had come to fifteen silver crowns since that meant one-and-a-half gold marks, the smallest coin he was carrying. He really needed to find a way to trade them in, find some less conspicuous way to pay for things.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But for now, it was all he had, so he would deal with it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Thank you Rackam. You’ve been helpful, really helpful. Without your help I am confident that things would not have gone as well as they now will!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert waved to the small shopkeeper as he stepped outside and began to try and undo the knot.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After a long while he mounted his horse and rode out the other end of the small village of Relland, leaving Rackam behind.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-56569061809159123832014-07-24T21:10:00.004-07:002014-07-24T21:10:49.558-07:00Sigilian 20<span style="color: white;">So, this is the <b style="font-style: italic;">END OF PART 2</b> (Said in spooky echoey plot voice)</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert stood up from his weeding and took a few steps towards the farm house.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Branwen had come back in a hurry, riding the horse hard, and she had barely stopped to dismount.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He stepped around the vegetable garden and walked to meet her.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What is it?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You Soldier. There is a rumour going around that you are missing”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m surprised it’s taken a week to get here”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Rumour is you’re dead”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Dead?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Dead. Some crazy woman killed you, stabbed you through the heart or poisoned you or something”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And then you fell off your balcony and your body was stolen. The rumours are flying”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I…but, I’m not dead!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, but they think you are. And if the people think you do then that means that there is likely something wrong with how the nobles are acting, especially your parents. So they may not think you’re dead, but they’ve done something to make the people think that they think that”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go let them know I’m alive!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And more importantly you have to get the danger you represent away from my son”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert nodded.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ll leave as soon as I’ve gathered my stuff”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Best get to it. I’ll saddle your horse then pack some supplies. Then you’ve got to leave”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Robert didn’t waste more time, turning to begin packing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Ten minutes later he sat astride his horse by the side of the road.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Soldier. I have to thank you for everything that you have done to aid me”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And I you Branwen. You’ve taught me a lot this week”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Just don’t forget it. And make your way back as fast as you can. Don’t trust anyone, don’t tell anyone who you are. If they believe you they’ll just grab you for ransom, especially at a time like this. Understand?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes. I’ll trust nobody with the truth and try and be blunt”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No putting up a false front or acting out. Stay anonymous. Now go”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes. Luck to you Branwen”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And to you Soldier”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He wheeled the horse and took off down the path. He glanced back once. Branwen had gone inside, was not at the windows.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Her son who she had forbid him from talking to waved from an upper story window. He waved back and then concentrated on the path ahead of him.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-fb5813d4-6bb5-8735-e19f-b8229d71ca47" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros turned to check that the saddlebags were still closed and had not spilled anything. They were, and had not. Good.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This was the seventh trip in as many days into town. It was apparently taking quite a long time to move ‘as many chests as he could touch’ from the linked cave to elsewhere.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His plan had been simple and brilliant.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had found the cave he needed and performed the necessary ritual to link it to the inside of the mine.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sketching he had found himself inside the mine, next to the Chief.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Well, he had stabbed the Chief and taken a look around.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Not much in the room except for all the treasure they had collected. The room was at the far back of the mine, the deepest mine-shaft. He had not thought that anyone else would be there.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But it made his job far easier.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He knew that he couldn’t risk a second trip back, not with the sounds of fighting growing ever closer, but he had piled as many of the crates as he could and then laid across them, spread eagled.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had tried to touch as many as possible, because that was the only way he could bring them with him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It would require Completing to bring that many, but he had the time to do so…he had hoped.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had had time, and had arrived in the cave with a dozen crates stuffed with the spoils of banditry. Money, trade goods, art objects…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was a small fortune.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And it was all his, so long as he killed those pursuing him each day.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which really had not been a problem.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After all, he was a crack-shot with a crossbow, and at least half the people he had killed had themselves had extra bolts for him. How thoughtful.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He smirked at the thought, stroking his crossbow already.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As good as it was to be rich it was almost better to be able to shoot people. Although that ran the risk of no success, so, being rich did indeed trump it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">However, now there was a slight snag. He drew on the reins, bringing his horse to a halt.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Two men stood in the path before him. Both of average height, both dressed in common clothing with leathers over top, both entirely innocuous, except for their stances.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They held themselves like murderers and thieves. And both had their lefts hand was curled into fists, but for the thumb which both pointed in towards their own legs.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ah. So, my fun has ended has it? Time to get back to plotting?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was fine with that. He’d linked pieces of gold off to enough hideaways that he could safely retire anywhere and end up rich. His favourite trick, linking his nondescript bag at his belt to anyone of a dozen identical bags scattered around the world, buried deep underground, left at the bottom of garbage heaps that were sure to never be moved, tossed overboard while the ship crossed a trench.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Each was sealed shut, couldn’t be opened, and for good measure was in a locked box.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But if he linked the bag here with one of those bags…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Oh ho ho, then the fun began.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Drop something in here, it would end up in whatever bag he had linked it to. Reach in to this bag, he’d reach into whatever bag he’d linked it to.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It allowed him to have access to any number of things, whenever he needed them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Most handy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Unfortunately he couldn’t really go about pulling trade goods in and out of them; their locations meant that putting those kinds of things in the bag would spoil them, as well as the fact that they would not physically fit.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">All that the bags meant is that so long as he could find a plain burlap sack the size of his two fists then he would have money.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which meant that even if these two fools led him on a wild goose chase then he would still be able to get back to where he was right now, circumstances wise, not physically.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“You’re needed. Where have you been?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Busy. You have any idea how hard it is to find my way out after everything goes to hell? Escaping a bad situation takes a lot of work, and always leaves me in the middle of nowhere”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Even his closest allies didn’t know how his power worked. It let him make lies like that without fear of being discovered.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Well, it is a good thing we found you”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes, whatever would I do without you loyal bloodhounds?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros sighed as he got down from his horse.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m assuming you’ve got some other means of getting out of here? Or something that will require leaving behind what spoils I could gather?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course. Follow us”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros started after the two killers and shuddered slightly.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was glad that they were on his side. Those two would be able to kill him without any trouble at all. They had been assassins on the mainland, top killers able to hire themselves out to anyone for any price they chose.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He still had no idea how Natasi retained their services, but he assumed that it was costing her a fortune. Otherwise those two would not suffer the idiocy of this plan for very long at all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A shadow fell over him and he slowed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Looking up his jaw dropped open before he ran to catch up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Grabbing onto the ladder that had been lowered he scrambled up to the doorway as best he could, pausing only once to look back at the horse with a sad look of longing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">They expected him to be sad about losing the money after all; he needed to appear to need them or else he’d become a liability.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, he was beginning to think that it might be worth allying with the conspirators for good at true this time.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As he finished the climb into the main floor of the floating Border Tower he shrugged aside his past concerns.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Yes, they may be foolish and the plan may be ill-considered, but anyone who was able to hijack a Border Tower was worthy of his respect.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Realizing that he’d best make sure he wasn’t left behind he scurried up the stairs after the two towards the control room.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He’d been in a border tower once before during a con. They’d thought he was helping them, and in fact he actually had been. The ones he’d been conning had been the bandits, and with the arrival of a Border Tower over their headquarters they’d been very happy to surrender, leaving Hiros free to plunder what he had needed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And so he knew that it took a lot of training to be able to fly these things without crashing, and that to even be able to control it required years of training.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So the mystery of how they were piloting it was something that intrigued him even more than how they had gotten a hold of it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Is everyone aboard?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The crisp military tones seemed to imply that they had the pilot working for them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But the pilots were chosen because of their unshakeable loyalty to Destria. And then they had it drilled into them, day in day out for years, that Destria was the only true power that they could obey.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In Hiros’ personal experience, and in the tales, they were all zealots and insane, unable to do anything, unable to think for themselves.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The fact that they had corrupted one had him even more frightened.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes Captain. The special passenger is aboard. We can about the KIng’s business now. The special order is from the King himself, as is proper”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“As is proper”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The tones were slightly distorted, dimmer maybe, and as Hiros climbed the final stairs he could see that the pilot was slouched, slumped in his chair. That in itself would have been unusual enough, but the vacant look in his eyes and the shadows trailing from the wounds in his body told him the rest of what he needed to know.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man was less of himself than usual; he was a puppet controlled.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Stifling a shiver he took a seat as the Tower slowly spun and began to accelerate towards its next destination.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas sat in the chair in their room at the inn. He was so engrossed in the book, reading about the area and its history with bandits that he almost didn’t hear when Laerian walked in.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m back. No more news”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“None at all?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“None. The good news is that the last of the captives we rescued has been picked up by someone. Which means that we can save on the rent for the inn room”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We can save on ours too. We’re leaving”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He closed the book gently and turned to face Laerian.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Dark bags still hung under his partner’s eyes, and there was a bit of a haunted cast to his face. The captives had not seen it, every last one of them thinking him dashing, if still being as scared of him as they would be of any man after what they had gone through.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But Tomas could see. Seeing him before, and then now, he could see how the darkness had grown within the man, how old pain had been reawoken, how he was fighting something inside.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas fought the same thing every day, but he could tell that whatever Laerian was fighting it was far worse.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Are we?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Learian was leaning against his bedframe, trying to look casual, but still tense.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Are you still in the State?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“What if I am?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Leave it now”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian grimaced for a minute, then let it go.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The tension flowed out of him, but it seemed that the strength did too. He sagged onto the mattress.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So, where are we going?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“The Ferrian Reach”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Whats that?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“It is the bandit headquarters. Nobody has ever been able to get in or out of there unless they’re a bandit. Nobody has ever been able to clear the bandits out of that place. Its a hell hole, and a home of debauchery. Even the army was defeated when they tried to clear it out”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sitting bolt upright Laerian’s eyes went wide.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No, you’ve got it wrong. Not ‘Ferrian Reach’. ‘S called Hell’s Gate, for obvious reasons, and its not even pronounced like you said it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Its called Faron Rek. The spelling is all weird, but it’s Faron Rek. And no. We are not going in there. No way, no matter what you think. Even what I did in the mine wouldn’t be enough there; nothing would.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We’d be killed for sure. We can’t just walk into the home of the bandits, of the Blood Red King, and expect to survive. Plus its on an island. We’d need to take a boat there, which would delay us further, and would make all kinds of trouble, and we’d need to find a captain, and they’d kill us on the way there and-”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Laerian. Calm. There is a way to go there without being killed right away. We become bandits”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian’s eyes became truly dark. The bags, shadows, the slack in his limbs a looseness, readiness for motion of any kind, the sudden light in his eyes the surge to kill.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We are not becoming them in order to kill them”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“No. We’re not. But we can say that we are. We tell them that we were the ones who killed this group, and let them know that we want to start our own. We can tell them that the others were infringing on the territory that we had claimed, and that in response we killed them”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian relaxed again as he considered.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“It…is a good plan. It would likely get us in. What then?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“We can then use the cover of recruiting others to bring Hiros in. Once we have him we can either wait for him to try and clue us in on the plan, or we can torture the information out of him. Once we’ve done that we can do whatever else we need to to get out. Perhaps if we have time we can kill the Blood Red King”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No. We are not killing the King. If he is killed it will spark a succession war among the bandits, which means that each group will try and prove its own worth and attack the others, attack more targets of opportunity. They’ll cause as much damage to Destria as a real war would, or at least to this coast of it. We’re not going to take out the king, no matter what. Agreed?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I can agree to that”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Then let me sleep for a night before we get going. I’ll find a boat going that way in the morning and we can get going then. But, sleep first”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As Laerian lay down again, even now taking the time to undress, check his clothes over, and fold them nicely off to one side before sleeping.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And Tomas really couldn’t blame him; if he had the power to awaken clothes like Laerian had done then he would want to take good care of his clothes as well.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In fact, for the last week he had been doing so, trying his best to care for the clothes, keep them clean and in good repair.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would need to buy a set of fashionable clothes that could serve him in the court of the Blood Red King, and then he would be ready. The plan was foolproof, especially with the backup that he had decided upon.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">If all else failed he would sacrifice Laerian in order to complete the plan. It would not even be hard to do; the man was self destructive enough already.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas sat back down at the table and continued to read.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-60637450022255465432014-07-22T21:20:00.002-07:002014-07-22T21:20:58.893-07:00Sigilian 19<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His clothes finally stopped trying to drag him into the mine and so Tomas stood up cautiously.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It seemed that whatever Laerian had been doing it was over now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As he stepped into the mine the first thing he saw was the bandit.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the waist down he was a bloody mess, his knees and crotch especially bad. His arms were just as bad, so little flesh at the elbows that it was surprising his forearms were still connected.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tomas crouched down taking care not to slip before he realized that there was no blood.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">None at all, despite the wounds the man had suffered.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trying to ignore the fact for the moment he shuffled over to the man’s head.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He checked for both a pulse and breath, and was surprised to find both.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Are you awake?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The…the pain. The threads. They burrowed. They burrowed inside me. Stop them. Get them out. Help me”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The voice was both exhausted and panicked, weak and desperate. Tomas had never before heard anything like it, but if he was to say anything about it he would call it the voice of a man about to die.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I can. If you tell me what you know of the plot to kill the king”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You’ll take the threads out?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Of course”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The…Hiros. Man named Hiros. Brought us the idea. Told Chief”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“And why did Chief listen?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Hiros…brings lots of ideas. Tells when caravans coming. Sends messages through pens. Tells us from far away…what’s happening”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Is he a Sketcher then?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Maybe. Never showed me. Now heal me. Take the threads out”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“No”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tomas grabbed the man’s head and snapped his neck in one swift motion.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There would be no mercy for these men who allied with traitors, those who would use him.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And he had found out everything useful. It was time to move on to the next bandit.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He stood and leapt backwards, skidding to a halt as his hands flew into a guard position.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A blood-smeared man was coming out of the tunnel towards him. His head was just a black orb without lines or definition and his hands were bloodsoaked.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After a moment Tomas realized that the figure was wearing Laerian’s coat.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Laerian?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He stepped forwards as the figure came fully into the light.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Laerian’s face stared back at him from behind the black. It was a mask that transformed his face into close to a skull, his hair all flat, his eye sockets hollow and empty looking, his nose just a point and his ears bumps.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The only thing that had detail as his mouth. He could see every line, every tooth, the wrinkles in his lips, and the too wide grin.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hands came up to point at him as the blood began to disappear fading into plain white silk.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Laerian, it is me, Tomas. Is everyone incapacitated? Are the captives all freed? Laerian?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The figure swayed and then began to peel off the gloves.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tucking the now pure white gloves into his belt again Laerian raised his hands towards his face.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As he did so the mask sagged and fell away from his skin leaving only a loose black hood.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He pulled that off too and tucked it into a pocket, and he was just Laerian again. His clothes weren’t even bloody or rumpled.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Partner”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He had a kind of sad half smile on his face as he walked forwards and dropped onto a partially collapsed crate.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I think its all done now. Some of them over there are still alive, but they won’t be getting up again. Unless you heal them of course. I’ll let you interrogate them. I need to rest for a few minutes, and then I’ll let out the captives”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He stifled a yawn as he staggered over to sit against the wall.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You just” Another yan “Go ahead. I’ll be right here”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He rubbed his eyes, and then leaned his head back against the wall.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A moment later his breathing became even and regular as his eyes slid shut.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tomas looked down at the bandit’s corpse.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Well, it would seem that his fight with you and your fellows was too much for the mighty magician. You stay here and watch over him while I interrogate the others”</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-fb5813d4-6172-f89c-8d7e-a87684b6291d"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He marched off leaving the blank and sightless eyes to look at the closed ones.</span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-60756649154972677122014-07-21T19:31:00.002-07:002014-07-21T19:31:54.418-07:00Sigilian 18<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Branwen paused in her work. Setting down the handles of the plow she let the horse come to a stop.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A lot had changed on the farm since Soldier had arrived. He’d paid for a new work horse as well as enough food stores to last the two three winters.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Which left Branwen free to turn the crops into food for now, or to sell the extra food. And she was using going to use that money in turn to improve the farm.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The only bad thing about Soldier being there was Soldier himself.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Staring across the field at him trying to coax the riding horse he had bought into a harness was a task in and of itself.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His total lack of experience with anything real made her want to strangle the man, and his idiot parents, and all of the nobility for not teaching their children how to do something as relatively simple as hitch a horse to a wagon.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Of course the fact that he was trying to hitch a riding horse to a wagon was in and of itself an error. Watching him now she struggled not to go over and help him, but she had decided that she would not help him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She picked up the handles of the plow and set it moving again.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She wouldn’t help Soldier until the stubborn man learned that asking others how to do something was just how the world worked.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-fb5813d4-5be8-81b6-8009-c7493ee55baa" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas glanced over at Laerian before moving to the entrance.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man’s scarves were not at the ready, and there was something about his face that made Tomas worried.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A darkness that had not been there before. But, so long as whatever it was did not get in the way of their quest then he did not care what it was.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He didn’t care about Laerian either. The man was unimportant. The bandits were unimportant beyond what they could tell him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Nothing mattered right now but stopping the war to protect his family, and having revenge on whoever would try to use him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Those were the things that mattered to him at the moment.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Laerian, are you ready?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He put his palms on the blockade of crates and set his feet.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Laerian?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I am ready. When you clear the way, step aside. And when you follow me, watch out for the bodies”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His voice was a monotone. Tomas glanced back again, but the man’s face was entirely in shadow. His clothes seemed to blow in a non-existent breeze.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Are you saying that I won’t be there beside you?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No. You’ll be out here so that you’re safe from me”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Safe from you?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“If you go in, no telling if I’ll tell you apart from them”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Will you be able to tell the captives apart?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I’ll be able to feel their ropes”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“So can’t you…how will you feel their ropes?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Break the barricade partner. Do it now”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas turned to push on the wall, but then turned back.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No. Laerian, we are partners, correct?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Then explain. This. All of this”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“No. Break the barricade Tomas. Do it now”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He looked at the man’s face and one more time and decided to give up.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The argument was not worth the energy it would take.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Someday I would love to see a partnership where both sides are truly equals”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“It will never happen Tomas. This world is too cruel”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Aren’t you supposed to be the light-hearted one?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Without further ceremony he dug his heels in and began to push. After a moment the crates slid backwards, and then with another shove they exploded inwards.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Splinters and supplies flew as Tomas leaned back then threw himself bodily into the crates, breaking through then turning into a dive.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A few crossbow bolts went past him, and he was for a moment concerned he would have to clear the mine on his own.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Then Laerian stepped through the doorway and there was a moment of stillness.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Step outside Tomas”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Something in Laerian’s voice made Tomas comply. He suddenly realized that he truly did not want to be there for whatever was about to happen, his fear of being hurt overriding everything else.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He just needed to escape the madman who had been unleashed.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian took another step into the fog. A bolt flew at him, but it was aimed at his chest. It would not be a problem.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It impacted and he barely felt a brush on his skin, his coat turning hard as steel, alive and angered at the assault.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A grin began to play across his face as he pulled a pair of white silk gloves from where they were looped in his belt. Pulling them on he felt the softness of the cloth and the squirming of the threads, each and every one. His skin became the thread, his thread became the skin. They were one, as he was one with the coat as he was one with the clothing on those around him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He could feel the thin black material of Tomas’ outfit drinking down the fear sweat. He could feel the places of wear and tear, where Tomas had abused it, where it was damaged, where he was not properly caring for it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas’ clothes were none too happy with their owner, which was why he had told Tomas to leave. When he let the clothing free it would not be a pretty sight if he was still there.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His own clothes however…they loved him. He cared for them, wove in new threads of just the right shade in just the right way, made sure that they were never patched, never needed to be patched. He kept the, clean, but fed them regularly, their favourite foods, dyes and threads, care, soap, water and blood.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And so they loved him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His grin grew wider, too wide as he drew the cloth hood from his pocket. It was also silk, and fit his head loosely. He drew it on and then let it too come alive.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His coat continued to catch and stop crossbow bolts as he took another step in. The hood adjusted itself, closing around his head, tightening until it was, like the gloves, another skin. It pressed into his eyes, filled his mouth perfectly forming his grimace, outlining his nose, flattening his hair until it was almost not visible.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He did not know what he looked like when he donned the hood as he could not see. It was possible that it to others appeared as a black silk bag over his head, no shape at all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But he could feel it pressing against his skin so tightly he was sure that that was not the truth.He was sure that his anger was represented faithfully in the hood.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He could not see while he wore the hood, no.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But he had other means of sensing things.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The clothes of others told him things. They knew that he was a friend to clothing, that he cared for it and repaired it, loved it and was kind to it. So they told him where they were, where they were moving, going, where they had never gone.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He could almost see the world in shapes with the hood one.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Except for the clothing. He could always see the clothing, knew where and what it was, every single detail.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">While he wore the hood the clothes were more real to him than those that wore them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And so it was easy to bring them to life, to let them do what they would with their owner. And he didn’t need to worry about himself as his own clothes loved him too much to let him die.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He took another step in and raised his hand to catch the sword that was coming at his stomach. The other man’s sleeve had told him where the sword was coming from. It had been simple to catch it on his palm.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As his glove closed around the end of the blade and crumpled it he turned his attention to the man’s shirt.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Do you hate this man?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The answer was always yes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Do you want to have your revenge on this man?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He let the pants have enough life to hold him still.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And again, the answer was always yes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Where has he hurt you? The elbows, yes, a common sin. Here, you have my permission, an eye for an eye”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man began to scream as threads pulled out of his shirt and dug under his flesh. The screaming got louder as those threads began to weave together again and pull outwards, slicing through skin, muscle and bone more easily than a sword could.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Is that enough? Or has he hurt you in other ways?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Again, the answer was always yes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And you pants? Do you also wish your revenge?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The pants had suffered worse than the shirt. Both were stained with food and worn at the joints but the pants had been exposed to worse indignities while the man had forced himself no captives over the years.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yes, I can see your point. Imagine what those poor people did to their clothes. Not their fault, but imagine what the hurt this man gave to them made them do by accident? Imagine how those clothes felt when their owner was hurt in this way. Probably the owner was nice to their clothes, and now because of this man they never can be again. Why don’t you make it so that he can never hurt someone in that way again?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The man’s screams took on a far more pained note as his pants began to cut at his knees and crotch in the same way as the shirt had done to his elbows.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And shirt, you may do whatever else you like to him, but the beat of his heart must continue. That is my contract with you. You gain the power to have your revenge so long as he still breathes, so long as his heart still beats”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The clothing was more than happy to agree.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was a tearing shredding sound as his crotch was turned inside out. He could feel the clothes soaking up the blood, reveling in the revenge against their erstwhile master.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian stepped forwards as the other bandits broke and ran.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His grin stretched ever wider, the threads of his face unraveling to allow it. The fun was only beginning, and there were still so many left to punish.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas struggled to take a breath.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His shirt was crushing his chest, his pants holding his legs rigid and near immobile. Only his great strength was allowing him to continue to breathe, continue to stumble away from the entrance.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian had been right when he said that he would not be able to protect Tomas. He had been right when he said that Tomas would die if he stayed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas’ legs continually tried to backpeddle, to move him back towards the mine entrance as his pants swung backwards every time he lifted a leg.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would use his arms to help, but he had learned his lesson when, upon lowering his arms at first they had swung down and his pants had in some way grabbed his hands. As his arms had swung backwards they had helped his legs to overcome his own strength.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It had only been through luck and pulling at just the right moment that he had gotten his hand free.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Even then it had been covered in tiny writhing hairs that had soon fallen still. They were still there, poking out of the skin of his hand. It was really disconcerting, and Tomas was sure that if he wasn’t so busy trying to win the fight with his pants he would be terrified.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian stalked further into the mine. His clothing had run out of arrows and swords to block. And eventually the bandits had caught on that it was their own clothing that was killing them and stripped down.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Those that worried about modesty at a time like this died.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Those that didn’t worry about modesty also died though, so there was not much of a difference in the end.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was merely those who died as screaming mewling cowards like they were, or those who died with swords in their hands and battle on their lips.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian had so far spared seven bandits, leaving them in states of mortal agony, and eight captives. They had all been in one room, so it had been easy to stop the clothing from coming alive. Just make sure that no clothes in that direction came to life.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was simple enough, since there were so many other clothes that wanted to be awakened.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But with the bandits now without clothing it was going to become even more fun.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His clothing was almost moving too fast for him now, eager to hunt.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">With a quick reminder not to stretch him or break him, he let it off the leash.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was a thrill to letting his skin take control. It felt so…easy.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He didn’t need to worry about anything anymore, didn’t need to worry about the blood on his hands, didn’t need to worry about repeating his father’s mistakes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And he didn’t need to worry about dying. Even if something got past his clothing it would sew him up as fast as it could. He could stay in the State at least that long, long enough for it to save him.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And once he was saved it would be easy to stay in the State.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He returned to focusing on the fight, revelling in the release of control, in sacrificing his will, his body, to the desire for revenge that had soaked into his clothes and dried like day old blood.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was never coming out of these, and he was fine with that. The revenge was channeled, so it wouldn’t hurt anyone except killers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And his clothing had a very good nose for killers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He felt his arm come up and then down again, felt warmth soak through his glove.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Remember, try to leave them alive”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But he really didn’t care, and his clothes could tell. This had started as a way to find out who was starting the war, and to Tomas it still was.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But to Learian that didn’t matter anymore. It was about having revenge on these killers, rapists, thieves and worse, having on revenge on those like his father and fellow soldiers.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He had been denied the justice of killing them himself, so instead he would kill the others with similar crimes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would save these captives from the fate he his family had endured, save them from the fate that he could not save the families of the dead on the mainland from, save them from growing up with the same darkness inside that he carried.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would save them, even if it meant killing every last bandit himself, with his bare hands.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His hand came down again on the face of the man he was straddling and something warm splattered across his face. It was all going to be ok.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His teeth parted enough for his tongue to get a taste of the goo on his hood.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He was going to kill them all and then it would be ok.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301718033605927125.post-36024833476738070392014-07-20T23:49:00.002-07:002014-07-20T23:49:36.109-07:00Sigilian 17<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros stepped into the forest grove.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Yes. It was pretty nice here.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He smiled as he considered how much nicer it could be if he managed to do succeed in what he was planning.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was certainly ambitious, he gave himself that. It would be a big achievement, and something very very fun to do.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He got his bearings and set off down the trail. He had just finished the second Link; it was one more ride if he could get a horse, a link, another ride, and then creating the Link. Hopefully he would be able to get it all done before Tomas got into the mine.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He poked his head out of the forest and set off down the road. Sooner or later someone would ride by…</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And there they were.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He thought briefly about how to do it. He could try and bargain or he could-Nope.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was one man, soldier type. He had his sword sheathed and was looking around, aware of the area.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hiros waved to him, smiled, and fired his crossbow from the hip.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The shot caught the man in the shoulder and knocked him sideways in the saddle. He tried to get the horse to run but Hiros had already reloaded. He’d always been great with a crossbow.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His second shot took the man through the side of the head.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And voila, one horse.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He took a moment to take a nice long puff of his pipe, then hurried over to mount up. He had some riding to do.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-fb5813d4-57ae-2839-df64-5b92ce6e9bd9" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas tried to straighten his legs, propel himself out from under the blade, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to get far enough back to dodge it entirely. It would likely catch him in the stomach or the chest, and then he would die.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At that moment he wasn’t actually afraid. Of losing his family, of never seeing them again, of the war destroying the islands, of failure, even of the pain, but not of dying. He was oddly at peace. He had tried his best, and yes, he had failed. That was bad, but he wouldn’t need to worry anymore. He would not need to feel the pain, worry about how others saw him, worry about the scars that made him so hideous, worry about failing others.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There would be one last grand failure, and that would be it. No more, not ever.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And he would, maybe, if those who believed in the afterlife were correct, get to see Aline again.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">All these thoughts went through his head as his legs extended too slowly to save him from the falling blade.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would never be sure of what the bandits was thinking in his final moments, but knew of at least one thing that went through his head.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There was a flash of red as a scarf curved the path of a bolt. The bandit’s eyes widened in the second he had before the bolt punched through one of them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas finished his backwards roll as the man fell backwards away from him, the momentum of the bolt carrying him over.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Tomas, get back to shooting the others! We’ve been up here too long. If the others in the mine have another exit they’ve gotten away already. And remember, try and take one of these guys alive in case the ones in the mine do get away”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Of course”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas dodged back out to get the crossbow and began to pick the shooters off again. It had been a close call, but there was no time to delay and worry about it now. He was going to have to try harder to get used to battle and what seemed to be the new course of his life.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Because in his mind, if he stayed afraid then he would die.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian sagged against the tent-post. It had been a long exhausting descent, and when they finally got to the bottom there had still been a few bandits left alive.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It had been slow and hard work chasing them through the unfamiliar campsite disabling them one at a time in case they were the last bandit they found. They couldn’t risk killing their only source of information.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas, used to just punching people with all his strength, had had to resort to breaking limbs, while Laerian had had to time his stranglings more carefully. He couldn’t just keep them strangled as long as he felt like; he had to wait until the exact moment they stopped struggling, then release them lest he go too far and they die.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It had not been easy, but by the end of it they had three live and tied bandits, and free run of the camp.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas had again been tempted to grab horses and ride for the Castle but Laerian had pointed out that the sun had already begun to set. It was now halfway to the horizon and so the entire pit was in shadow.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He would need to light lamps soon if they were going to stay out here much longer.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Tomas, how’s your arm?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“It could be better. Now that you’ve put it back into place I should be fine”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas had fought the entire second half of the battle with a dislocated arm from when he was thrown into the tree.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian’s respect for the man had skyrocketed after he found out that fact.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“And your hands? How’s the stitching keeping?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I have to say it was very helpful. Just Sketching it shut would have left a scar, but with the stitches to hold the wound closed it sealed right over perfectly. My thanks, since I would not want to add another scar to my repetoire”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Now that there was a lull, a pause, Tomas was much less angry and monotone, but he was much more formal. And he had become almost gloomy, acting very withdrawn and only speaking when spoken to.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It made the entire atmosphere gloomy, and Laerian was too tired to try and cheer them both up or to do much of anything at all.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Hey, Tomas, how’s that Sketching work on healing others? Can it make me less tired?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Not if you want it to strengthen and speed me for the upcoming fight. I can only leave one Sigil in place at a time, like all Sketchers, and something like staving off fatigue requires an ongoing Sigil”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Ok, ok, sure. Just hoping”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian tilted his head back and looked at the sky.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This pit was silly. It was entirely undefensible, would be really muddy when it rained, and was conspicuous besides. If he had been the one to choose a location for bandits around here he would have chosen closer to the river…maybe a forwards outpost under that bridge? Because the gorge wouldn’t do for the full hideout; it suffered the same problems as here but didn’t even have a bolt hole. So, maybe spread out? Or find a clearing maybe.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Yah, a clearing. Then you could set sentries in the woods, maybe better than they had done here, and then with the trees all cleared you could use those to build barricades. Those’d let you shoot from behind them, take cover, and also act as a charge breaker, especially if you put the occasional sharpened stake. He really could not see why they hadn’t done this in a smarter way, unless there was some secret that he didn’t know.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He shook his head and sighed.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He needed to stop thinking about these things! He’d left that part of his life behind, become a travelling showman and general layabout. He wanted to be the kind of hero the bards sang about, someone who was dashing, heroic, romantic, an everyman, but also someone who never had to work too hard, who had things presented to them, who could drink and wine their time away without a care.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Not that that would ever really happen. And here he was, rushing back into a war, if only a personal one this time.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">He may as well get to it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Tomas, you ready to go in? Daylight is, as they say, burning”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Let me Sketch first”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“ ‘Course! Was going to do the same myself. I meant, are you ready? Not tired, not hurting and all that?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“I won’t be when I Complete. Are you?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Don’t worry about me partner. I’ll be fine”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tomas looked at him quizzically, maybe sensing the underlying irony to the words, maybe just not sure if he could take anything the magician said at face value.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">“Yah, yah, go!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Laerian smiled until Tomas began to Sketch then settled down to Sketch on his own. He would not be able to use any Basics if he Completed, meaning he wouldn’t be able to harden his coat.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But if he didn’t Complete then he’d be hard pressed to deal with multiple foes, or even attack. He was no good with a crossbow, and eschewed a sword, hating the very idea of it. In fact, these bandits today were the first people he had killed since leaving the army.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But, if they really were involved in a plot to set the world aflame with war then they did not deserve his mercy. They didn’t deserve anything, least of all the relatively quick deaths they had been given.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">His thoughts dark Laerian began to Sketch in a way he had not in some time. When he Completed this time it would be with a very different goal in mind than animating his scarves.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A very different goal indeed.</span></span></div>
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wkschullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848468456610574349noreply@blogger.com0