Fable - Ask Among Strangers

[Nil]

"No, not the city." He confirmed with a nod of his head.

Cortos was not known for it's forests, but there was a grove nearby that he thought might be fitting enough. The lake it sat near was also quite nice, though they would have be watchful of fisherman and the like as they moved.

"There is a grove to the east of the city." Nil told her. "It is owned by the King, though he allows the public to hunt and travel through it."

Everything in Maricielo was technically owned by the King. "We'll ride through there, I think."

He walked over towards Pips, petting the massive stallion before pulling himself up into the saddle with one smooth and practiced motion.

 

[Rosaline]

The ride to the grove was a pleasant one. Rosaline reveled in the warmth of the sun on her skin, the caress of the wind as it rushed through her hair. She didn't know when the next time would be that she'd get to enjoy the outdoors, so she was determined to make the most of it while she could.

As they traveled the country side, it slowly dawned on her that there wasn't much farmland. The terrain was rockier than in Telrio and wasn't as fertile.

Perhaps that was why King Aguilar had sought out her hand in marriage -- he wanted access to the lush farmlands.

She glanced to Nil as they approached the small glen, chewing the inside of her cheek. It was quiet there, far from the bustle of the castle.

Shadows flitted about through the trees, glimpses of creatures only she could see. Some were friendly, others would have more sinister intentions.

Rosaline had long since grown accustomed to the Fae creatures that followed her, drawn to the blood that flowed through her veins. She'd learned to stop telling others when she saw them at a young age, since it only upset them or caused problems.

Nevertheless, the instinctively moved her horse a little closer to Pips and Nil.

She took a small breath, refocusing her attention on the man beside her. "My mother used to tell me stories about places like this." She murmured quietly.

"Tales of fairies and will-o'-the-wisps. Most involved some sort of wish..."

 

[Nil]

He smiled as she spoke. "Just stories, I think."

Nil did not, of course, see the same things that Rosaline saw. Though the magic his father had imbued in him was strong, it did not allow him to see into the world of the fae. They were an alien, something that he did not understand and could not comprehend.

Yet he had heard the stories, the tales.

"This grove is old." He told her quietly as they continued their ride. "Preserved by command of the King. Those who enter it must protect it. Those who hunt here must pay."

Something that upset many peasants, particularly in times of famine and hardship. "It is one of the few things untouched as the city grows."

A garden in it of itself in many ways.

"I think the King enjoys knowing he is watching over something." Nil explained, not realizing the same words could be applied to her.

 

[Rosaline]

"Hmm..." She mused quietly, glancing around the glade once more.

"He takes that part of his work seriously, doesn't he? Protecting the things in his care."

It was an admirable trait when it came to ruling over a Kingdom, but she wasn't sure if the same could be said when it came to his wife.

One of the shadows coalesced on the far side of the glade and stepped forward into the light. It was a figure Rosaline was all too familiar with, the eerie creature followed her every where she went. Taller than a man and wrapped in black robes that hid most of its form, she still wasn't sure just what he was. The only distinct feature that she'd ever seen was its massive fanged elk skull with glowing green eyes.

When she was little, Bone Face, as she called him, absolutely terrified her. She'd wake to find him looming in a shadowed corner, just watching her. Neither of her parents ever believed her that there was something there though, only her Grandmother.

Today was no different. Bone Face stood off in the far distance, watching. These days, he was something of a welcome sight. She hadn't been sure if he would follow her all the way to Maricielo. A little piece of home had come with her, haunting as he was.

She tore her eyes away from the Fae and looked back to Nil with a warm smile.

"Could we walk for while? I'm a little uh... sore." She asked, hesitating as she gave the reason.

King Aguilar had summoned her to his quarters late in the night and sent her back to her own chambers when he had finished with her. The King needed an heir to establish a legitimate hold on Telrio, after all.

 

[Nil]

"Of course." He nodded his head.

There wasn't any problem with stopping, at least not here. His fingers tightened around the reigns for a brief moment and then he motioned her over towards the nearby bank of a small stream. The forest here was well kept, put together and cared for by the gardeners.

Dear tracks were everywhere, though none of the animals showed their faces now.

As they neared the stream, Nil pulled himself up and off Pips in one smooth motion. His armor clattered slightly as he landed on the ground, head swirling as he looked around for anyone...or anything that might be a threat.

After a moment he stepped towards Rosaline. "Here, my lady."

The Knight said as he offered her a hand in getting off the horse.

 

[Rosaline]

Rosaline took his hand and then braced her other hand atop his shoulder as she slid down out of the saddle. She landed softly in front of him, though perhaps a little too close.

"Thank you." She murmured with a shy smile, reluctantly pulling her hand away from his shoulder.

"It's a shame we didn't bring any food." She added as she stepped away from him, laughing quietly. "This would be a perfect spot for a picnic, don't you think?"

 

[Nil]

Nil smiled for a second. "Good thing then."

Slowly he stepped around Pips, making his way towards the other side of the horse and rooting through the saddlebags there. From it he pulled a small pack, as well as a blanket. It wasn't ornate or anything, just borrowed from one of the maid-servants.

"A knight comes prepared." He said with a smile. "Can't disappoint the Queen, after all."

He would never deign to dine with her of course, but he could stand as she had her meal.

Slowly he walked towards the bank, casting the large quilt out over the ground so that she had a place to sit.

 

[Rosaline]

Rosaline's expression brightened when Nil produced the blanket and small pack of food. Knowing that he'd been thoughtful enough to bring them warmed her heart.

She walked over to the space he'd prepared and sank down onto the quilt, spreading her skirts out around her legs. When he didn't take a seat next to her, she furrowed her brow and tilted her head back to look up at him.

With her sitting on the ground, Nil towered over her; but he looked far from imposing. If anything, she felt surprisingly safe with him watching over her. He took his duties just as seriously as the King did.

The Queen pursed her lips and clicked her tongue, patting the spot next to her on the blanket. "Please, come sit and eat. You don't need to stand there and watch me eat a meal. There's plenty enough for us to share."

 

[Nil]

It was clear that the invitation alone made him feel more than a little awkward.

He had been brought up in a manner that would make such an act...inappropriate. It wasn't his place to dine with royalty, wasn't his place to sit with them or even...even be near them in any capacity at all. He frowned for a moment, lips thinning.

At the same time...could he really resist a command from the Queen?

Though he knew her purpose here, why the King had taken her as his wife...she was still the Queen. That mattered, especially to him. After a moment he nodded his head, unbuckling the sword from his belt so that he could move to sit besides her.

"As you ask, your majesty." Nil said as he sat himself down, placing the sword close enough to lean on his knee.

 

[Rosaline]

Another warm smile graced Rosaline's features as Nil settled into the blanket and made himself more comfortable. She could see his unease, but to her Nil was not just some servant to follow in her shadow. He was the closest thing to a friend that she had here.

As she took a bite from a roll, she offered another to the Knight with her free hand.

"Sometimes it's nice to get away from all the propriety and formality. Out here, no one even knows who I am. If passerby or even bandits were to come across us, they'd not even realize that I'm Aguilar's bride. Perhaps... You could just call me Rosaline?" She suggested with a small tilt if her head.

"There's no need to use such titles if we're having a picnic together." The Queen added in jest.

 

[Nil]

It was obvious that the very idea was somewhat scandalous to Nil. He made a face, lips thinning and eyes bulging for a brief ment af the suggestion of using his Queen's actual name. A certain nervous flitter rushed through his heart, fingers tightening on his knees.

A dry, awkward, nervous chuckle escaped his throat. "I umm."

Ten years ago he had thought that even hinting at a royals name would have gotten him flogged. The King had never been that cruel however, and there were a few late nights where he'd ask Nil to be less formal. It had been equally difficult then.

Rosaline was his Queen, a figure of authority, someone that demanded respect.

Yet she was the one asking. The frown stayed on his lips for a ment more, and then Nil swallowed. His head dipped in a curt nod.


"Yes, my lady." He frowned, made a strange noise in his throat, and then corrected himself. "Rosaline."

 

[Rosaline]

Rosaline laughed as he fumbled with her name. Normally, Nil was so composed and stoic, but hearing him struggle with being less formal with her endeared her to him. It helped to humanize him all the more in her eyes.

The man seated with her on the blanket was just that: a man. He wasn't some experiment or walking suit of armor. The Queen saw her Knight for what he was, a person.

A blush colored her cheeks, however, the moment she realized how much she enjoyed hearing him say her name. She quickly took another bite from the roll in her hand.

"I'm glad the King agreed to let you take me out. This is nice, Nil, thank you." She said after a brief pause, lowering her hands back into her lap.

 

[Nil]

"His Majesty can be rather gracious." Nil said with a nod of his head, as if her thanks were not supposed to go to him.

There was a reason he was so loyal, a reason that he held himself to the standards that Aguilar had set in place for him. The man had practically raised him, let him grow and become something useful whereas many others would have seen him dead.

He had kept practically the entire Radiant Church at bay for him.

That alone had earned him Nil's loyalty. "No doubt that we will be able to do this again."

As long as they behaved themselves.

 

[Rosaline]

"I'd like that." She told him with a smile. "But, only if it's not a burden on you."

While she'd come to enjoy Nil's company, she couldn't be sure if he felt the same. For all she knew, he was just fulfilling his duty as a Knight and she didn't want to be a bother.

She glanced across the glade towards the spot where Bone Face stood watching. He hadn't moved since stepping from the shadows, though he rarely did.

Her gaze drifted back to meet Nil's crimson eyes.

She parted her lips to say something else, but stopped short when she heard Bone Face growl menacingly. Her brow furrowed and she quickly looked around the glade for what had caused the outburst.

"Someone's coming." She said quietly to Nil.

 

[Nil]

Nil bowed his head. "My duties keep me busy, but I have my own time."

Though such was few and far in between...mostly by his own choice. There wasn't really much that he liked doing with his own free time. He had always preferred to do more work for the King. Whether it was training or research.

There was always something more.

He was about to open his mouth, suggesting that perhaps in a few months time Rosaline would be allowed to take a journey home. Yet the moment when she said someone was coming his hand darted to the scabbard of his sword.

Fingers wrapped around it in an instant, drawing it up and letting his other hand rest on the hilt.

He did not stand just yet, but his head turned in an instant towards the figure in the distance moving towards them. For a brief moment he hesitated, and then the person took another step. It was a young boy, no older than twelve.

Nil let his shoulders sink for a moment, some tension slipping out of him.

 

[Rosaline]

Rosaline reached out and gently placed a hand on Nil's forearm, hoping to reassure him that everything was alright and to stay him from rising to his feet. She didn't want to frighten the poor boy.

Her head turned to look at the newcomer and she offered him a warm, welcoming smile.

The boy was thin and his clothes looked tattered, too small even for his nearly emaciated figure. It broke the Queen's heart to see someone in such a state.

"Hello there." She called out to the lad, picking up a bright red apple with her free hand and holding it out towards the boy.

"Would you like to join us? We have plenty to share."

 

[Nil]

The boy looked weary, more than a little weary.

While Rosaline cut a kind and caring figure, Nil was almost the direct opposite. His eyes glowed a subtle red, his neck and hands were decorated with dozens of scars and tattoos. It was clear that he was marred, a monster not a man.

Briefly, Nil glanced over towards Rosaline. He knew that the boy likely saw him as something scary, terrifying even. A threat that would stand between him and the Queen.

He was not entirely wrong.

The Knight would not have hesitated if the boy turned out to be a threat, though of course that very notion was utterly ludicrous. His fingers slowly slipped off his blade completely, setting the weapon aside once more.

Quietly the Boy looked at Rosaline, then Nil, and then the food.

For a moment more he hesitated, then slowly stepped forward.

 

[Rosaline]

She kept her inviting smile as the nervous lad shuffled forward, her arm still extended out to offer him the food.

The boy shuffled just close enough to that he could reach out and hurriedly snatch the apple from her hand.

Now that he was closer, she could see the boy had an almost feral look in his golden eyes as he quickly started to scarf down the food. Something, a warning, tickled in the back of her mind but she couldn't quite place what it was.

Bone Face had moved forward, closer to them and she could hear the low growl deep in his throat. Normally, the Fae creature never made a sound, so what was wrong?

"More..." The boy weakly demanded, though it seemed he'd found his voice as he turned back to Rosaline.

"Of course... Have as much as you like." She said, reaching to grab another piece of fruit for the boy.

 

[Nil]

Nil felt something...off.

He couldn't say what it was, where it was coming from. None of the marks on his flesh burnt, none of them hurt, but there was a tingle that rolled up his spine as the boy drew closer and closer. He couldn't say what it was, but it felt wrong.

Slowly he glanced over to Rosaline.

Could she feel it too? Could she sense it? Fingers tightened for a moment, and one hand gently sailed closer towards the sword at his side. "Where did you come from?"

He asked softly, his voice trying to inflect some kindness into it.

"You're not supposed to be wandering around the forest." There wasn't an accusation to his words, just a simple fact. Perhaps to encourage the boy to tell where he had come from.

 

[Rosaline]

Something wasn't right. She could sense that much, there was an unfamiliar presence about the lad, one that she couldn't place.

He moved closer to her to once again to snatch the fruit from her hand, growing bolder now.

As he hunched over to gobble to food down, she saw exactly what was wrong. Attached to the back of the boys neck, was an Essence Leech -- a type of malicious fae.

The sickly greycreature was engorged, it's spindly legs embedded in the flesh of the youngster. She'd never seen one so fully latched onto a host before. It had been attached to the boy for some time now. Perhaps even years, judging by his appearance.

There was likely nothing human left.

The boy dropped the apple core to the ground, raising his head back to look at the pair. "More." He demanded, insistently, practically spitting out the word.

This time, Rosaline did not reach for another piece of food as she stared back at the boy.

He breathed heavily and turned his greedy eyes to Nil. "Mooore!"

Slowly, carefully, Rosaline got to her feet. "No. You've had more than your fill."

 

[Nil]

Nil stood with a liquid smooth motion almost as soon as Rosaline did. The scabbard was in his hands, dragged along with him as he slipped in between Rosaline and the boy.

It was then that he first saw it.

There was a hollowness to the boys eyes, an emptiness that he had not noticed before. It was almost as though there was something...missing. Nil could not have said what, he could not have explained it, but he saw it nonetheless.

His hand came out without thought.

Fingers laced over Rosaline's skin as he pushed her backwards. "Take a step back."

The command was firm, solid. There was no doubt to what he would do it he wasn't ordered, and the slight sound of the sword shifting in his scabbard was a tell more true than any other. Fingers laced over the Queen's skin, drawing back for a moment as the boy took another step forward.

 

[Rosaline]

She made a small sound in the back of her throat as Nil grabbed her arm. It wasn't a painful grasp, but a protective one. Her teeth sank into the side of her cheek with concern.

She obliged Nil's command, not wanting to give him another thing to worry about.

The boy that the parasitic fae had attached to was long gone, she knew that, but that didn't mean she wanted to see his body maimed. Nevertheless, there was real danger present. A threat that Nil was yet to realize was there.

"Nil, he's a fae's host... Be careful." She warned in a low hiss.

The boy's eyes bulged at Rosaline's words and a shrill shriek pierced the quiet veil of the glade as he lunged forward towards the Knight in desperation. "MORE!"

 

[Nil]

The sword left it's scabbard in an instance.

It was quick, one swipe, then a second, and then a quick thrust of the blade through the boy's head. A flash of violence erupted, and then as soon as it had begun it was suddenly over. The boy crumpled onto the ground, falling face first into the dirt besides the river.

Upon his neck the leech seemed to shrivel and shift, and then fall off.

That was when Nil saw it for the first time, when the creatures host died...so did it. The two had been all but symbiotic at this point, the parasite rooting itself so deeply within the Boy's body that it had required him to live.

Nil pulled his sword back, then glanced at Rosaline. "We should go."

He told her.

"There could be more." Though he had no idea how these...creatures worked.

 

[Rosaline]

As the boy toppled to the ground, a startled cry escaped Rosaline's lips. It was over as quickly as it started. There should have been blood pouring from the wicked wounds on the boys form, but there was nothing.

The leech had killed the boy long ago.

Grimacing, the queen gently wrapped a hand around Nil's forearm, staying close by his side.

"Is there a village near here?" She asked quietly, finally tearing her eyes from the crumpled form in the dirt before them.

Bone Face was quiet once again, returned to his usual silent watch.

 

[Nil]

"There is." Though he was loathe to visit it.

By all rights he should return Rosaline to the palace, but with the sun where it was and more of these...things possibly lurking around in the forest it was best to find somewhere safe and send for more of an escort to take her back. He did not like the prospect, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Gently he wiped his sword on the grass, slipping it back into the scabbard before grabbing Rosaline's hand and guiding her far around the corpse.

He wasn't taking any chances. "Here."

Nil said as he helped her get back onto her horse.

"We'll have to ride to the east." That would see them out of the forest in the quickest path.